The NFL just invited Washington Huskies Sidney Jones IV to their ranks. Here’s why the Philadelphia Eagles will love him
The University of Washington Huskies are an NFL player assembly line under head coach Chris Petersen. The team simply does not look to the stars: either in recruits or in production on the field. What Coach Petersen insists upon is contribution.
What the Washington Huskies got in cornerback Sidney Jones IV was a shutdown cornerback. He was a phenom in coverage. Throughout each game, he was literally a shadow to a receiver, always within striking distance, always ready to close to make the play, always the guy with better position on the ball.
Coach Petersen is a good NCAA coach. He is good in that he empowers his players to succeed at the NFL level. Sidney Jones IV is all that. He is both student and performer in the game. He is willing to learn, but he delivers in some of the best pass coverage I’ve seen in some time.
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Jones delivers more than a shadow to a receiver. He is intelligent. His head is in the game at each moment. He understands what he is doing, and what the offense is trying to do.
What the Philadelphia Eagles will love about cornerback Sidney Jones
The Washington Huskies defense was a solid contributor throughout the 2016 season, despite losing their best pass rusher when JoJo Mathis fell to injury after just six games. Ultimately, the burden to step up fell to the defensive backs, who answered the call.
Pass defense comes in two forms: pressure the quarterback and cover the receiver. With less pressure up front, the cornerbacks had to defend longer and harder than ever before. Sidney Jones IV was good with that.
PHENOM
He’s not just an solid cornerback. He’s the type of defender who is so good that he makes sensational seem routine. It was simply what he did. Now, no defensive backfield succeeds on the backs of one, or even four, individuals. Ultimately, each player must know when to hand off a receiver, when to double up, and how to handle zone pressure.
Sidney Jones does more than defend a pass. He neutralizes a receiver. His coverage was so good that NCAA quarterbacks chose not to pass his way, or when they did they found no open receiver.
Now, that’s the future for the Philadelphia Eagles
What the Philadelphia Eagles will need to work on with Sidney Jones IV.
No NFL rookie is foolproof. Right now, Sidney Jones is a young man rehabbing a torn Achilles Tendon. He injured his left Achilles Tendon on the last drill of Washington’s Pro Day. Without the injury, Jones would very likely have gone in the top ten, or even five, of the 2017 NFL Draft. That’s how highly he is regarded.
Autzen Zoo
And so there is now a risk of full recovery, and of the patience required through his healing process. Well, we can help. The Achilles Tendon injury happened high, where there is plenty of tissue and good blood supply to ensure a full recovery. Immediately after surgery, Jones began the rehab to full health regiment.
Right Frame Of Mind
The critical path back is not nearly as challenging physically as it is mentally. At some point, the player must forget the pop and trust his body once more. That does not appear to be an issue with Jones so far. In fact, this injury could prove to be an advantage.
Much like the Philadelphia 76ers handling the injury of Joel Embiid, or the injury of Ben Simmons, allowed the team to spend extra time with a special player, so too does this allow Jones the extra time to study film, scheme, and NFL strategy.
Ultimately, every moment invested in the development of Sidney Jones IV will pay off in a long term NFL Career.
Why this pick is such a good fit
In the end, this is an excellent fit. Sidney Jones IV is a young man who feeds off the energy of the fans. He can turn the momentum of a game around with one sensational play. That gets the fans into the game, and that ups his game.
Not every team can master the patience to harness the potential of Sidney Jones IV. Many teams want immediate results. Perhaps the Philadelphia 76ers success with a long term perspective has rubbed off on the Eagles. If so, Sidney Jones IV is the NFL equivalent to Joel Embiid (but not the two years rehab).
Right now, the medicals are great. In a four-six month timeline from the March 2017 surgery, places the July-September time frame for suiting up and practicing. Since that coincides with the NFL season, the team may opt to begin the year with Jones on injured reserve.
Next: Why the Arizona Cardinals will love Washington Huskies Safety Budda Baker
But stepping back for a moment. The Philadelphia 76ers have long sought a cornerback who can take over a game. Sidney Jones has the potential to deliver all of that and more. In the end, he has already demonstrated that in the NCAA.