Cowboys on the Clock: Byron Jones, #27 Overall

The 2015 Dallas Cowboys season had very few bright spots. Byron Jones, however, was one of them. The defensive back out of UCONN saw time as an outside corner, slot corner, and free safety.

Jones excelled in all of these roles in just his first season with the team, leaving Cowboys Nation excited about the future for their newest member of the secondary.

Byron is the most recent of three players the Cowboys have selected with the 27th overall pick. Let’s take a closer look with Cowboys on the Clock!

Byron Jones[get_helmet team=”dal” face=”l” align=”right” size=”md”]

The first round of the 2015 NFL Draft was a good one for defensive backs. The first one went off the board with the 11th pick, as the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan State’s Trae Waynes.

Two more were selected before Jones, as Kevin Johnson came off the board with the 16th pick to the Houston Texans and Marcus Peters joined the Kansas City Chiefs with the 18th pick. Peters went on to win the defensive rookie of the year award.

Once Jones slipped past the Eagles two picks after Peters’ selection, I held my breath that the combine stud would fall to the silver and blue at #27 overall.

Here is a look at his measurables spider chart. You can dissect this any way you like, but understand that the basic principle is that the more grey area the better.

Yeah…

Rod Marinelli values versatile defenders, and that is exactly what he has in Jones, who hopes to be a part of the team’s defensive plans for years to come

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Now looking ahead to 2016, Jones’ role is still not set in stone. While it appears he has found a home at the free safety position, his services may be needed at corner. Jalen Ramsey is a popular name in this year’s draft for the Cowboys to select at #4, and adding the equally versatile defensive back out of Florida State will give Dallas a lot of flexibility in their secondary.

While pairing the two at free and strong safety would be electrifying, there is no doubt that the Cowboys need another corner – and one of the two can fill that need.

Wherever we see Byron Jones in 2016, the point is that #31 in white will be hard to miss – as the 2015 first round selection enters his second season with the team.

The following players have also been selected with the #27th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys:

 

Robert Shaw, C, 1979

Shaw’s career was cut short with the Cowboys due to injury, but he was a pivotal member of the starting offensive line through the end of the regular season and playoffs in 1980 after coming in for the injured John Fitzgerald.

Aaron Kyle, DB, 1976

Kyle was a member of the Cowboys Super Bowl XII team, and at the time of his draft selection was the highest picked defensive back in team history. He went on to replace Mel Renfro as a starting corner over his four years in Dallas.

Cowboys on the Clock continues tomorrow, when we will be 26 days away from the 2016 draft! We’ll take a look at the last player the Dallas Cowboys selected with the 26th overall pick, which happened in 2007.

Want to leave your comments on this series? Do so by replying below, or shoot me an email at sean.martin@insidethestar.com!