From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida State CB Jarrian Jones.
#7 JARRIAN JONES/CB FLORIDA STATE – 6-0, 190 POUNDS. (RS SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Jarrian Jones | 5117/190 | 8 5/8″ | 30″ | 73 1/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.38 | 1.52 | 4.30 | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’9″ | 39.5″ | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Inside-outside cornerback capability and can be a team’s big nickel
– Very competitive, fiery player
– Good size and strength to play whatever position the team needs him to
– Great anticipatory skills in coverage to stay locked with receivers
– Doesn’t let receivers get leverage on him and fights to stay in phase
– Long speed to stay with faster pass-catchers
– Hits guys and drives through the tackle with upper body explosiveness
– Strong supporter in the run game
– Instinctively sniffs out running lanes and gaps to wall off holes
– Click-and-close ability to plant and drive on guys
THE BAD
– Short strider who needs time to catch up to bigger, faster receivers
– Curl and comeback routes give him difficulty gathering momentum to come back to the ball
– Closing speed to ball pursuit needs to improve
– Footwork can be unsynchronized if he’s beaten
– Sometimes plays too tall in off-man coverage
– Hip fluidity to transition on breaks
– Lean frame with short wingspan to contest catches and get off blocks
– Turns 23 at the start of the NFL season
BIO
– Born 5/8/2001 (Age 22)
– 1,796 career snaps (1,263 outside CB, 428 slot CB, 76 SS)
– 2023 season: 25 tackles, 5 TFL’s, one sack, 3 INT’s, 3 PD’s, 25.3 passer rating allowed
– 29 career starts and appeared in 55 games over five seasons
– 2023 Honorable Mention All-ACC
– 2022 & 2023 FSU Most Improved Defensive Player
– 501 special teams snaps (73 percent of them on kick and punt coverage)
– Four-star HS recruit, according to 247Sports
– Also played wide receiver, catching 82 passes for 1,772 yds., and 26 TDs in high school
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Jarrian Jones is a versatile cornerback who played on the boundary as a starter in 2022 and then quickly transitioned to almost exclusively a slot cornerback in 2023. He had one of the lowest passer ratings allowed in man coverage, according to PFF, this past year and played pretty well on the boundary prior. He is a player who shows great instincts and knows how to anticipate leverage against receivers. He’s consistently where he needs to be, whether it’s in zone, off-man, or press-man. He is keenly aware of how to play each rep. Jones knows how to make a play on the ball, wherever he’s at on the field.
He is #7 in all of the following clips:
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 28, 2024
His film and athletic testing showed off his quickness in the short area and intermediate areas of the field while also being able to vertically carry guys with straight-line speed. He’s able to mirror and match almost any type of receiver off the line at Florida State. In man coverage situations, Jones does a nice job of communicating to his teammates the coverage scheme or shifting over to different receivers based on the formation he sees. Technically, he stays low in his backpedal so that he can change tempos or shift his hips if he needs to. He can ride the hip of twitchy, shiftier receivers well across the middle of the field.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 28, 2024
His 4.38 forty-yard dash at the NFL combine tells you that he can stay with guys vertically if he needs to, albeit he’s not a long strider and needs time to catch up. He plays the ball well in the air and seems to know exactly when trying to high point with receivers. He’s able to shed blockers well, even if they have a size advantage on him. Jones shows great awareness in being able to blow up screens and any plays in the flat.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 28, 2024
With zone coverage, he knows how to stay physical with receivers without drawing penalty flags. Jones has great field awareness and depth perception to know where to be. It seems like he always knows where his assignment is and doesn’t get caught looking at the quarterback’s eyes. He can make an impact against the run and has a physical demeanor to his play. He’s not afraid to mix things up with receivers in all scheme types and he actively seeks runners, whether they’re straight ahead or across the field, he shows a strong upper body in being able to drive through tackles.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 28, 2024
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 28, 2024
One of the biggest concerns with Jones is that he doesn’t come downhill as quickly as you’d want for a guy who’s as fast as he is. He doesn’t show that explosive closing speed and acceleration in short areas, but he does come with power once he’s there. He sometimes plays too high when he comes out of his backpedal, but it’s not at an alarming rate. Jones isn’t the most fluid cover corner with his hips, and his feet can get lost with his body when he comes out of transitions, but his recovery speed allows him to compensate for that. Also, bigger guys who are shifty and fast (Malik Nabers from LSU and A.T. Perry from Wake Forest) gave him difficulty in being able to stay in phase, but he rarely gave up big plays.
CONCLUSION
Jones is a cornerback who is able to play in all types of coverages and doesn’t have elite traits in any particular facet of his game, but he does just about everything really well. His ability to play in the slot or boundary, and there not be a drop-off, should make him a pretty appealing player to be picked early in the upcoming draft. He had adequate ball production this past year. He’s athletic, intelligent, physical, and willing to do whatever he can to help a defense. Jones also is very competitive and does not get beat more than once in a game. He prides himself on shutting down whoever he’s covering and isn’t afraid of anyone.
Pittsburgh’s new assistant secondary coach Anthony Midget got a close-up view every day of Jones at Florida State, so it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers are interested in him based on their press-man coverage and the fact that he can play multiple positions. For a comparison, Jones reminded me a lot of Greg Newsome II coming out of Northwestern. Guys that can rotate between positions and are high-level athletes. Jones could come in right away and be a team’s second cornerback or their starting slot cornerback, depending on what the team needs.
Projection: Mid-Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 8.0 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: vs LSU (2023), at Florida (2023), vs Wake Forest (2022), at Oklahoma (2022)
