Philadelphia Eagles 2017 NFL Draft mid season grades
Sidney Jones, CB, 2nd Round.
It was almost a guarantee that Sidney Jones would be the first cornerback taken off the board within the first ten picks of the draft. If it wasn’t for a ruptured Achilles during a simple drill at his pro day, Jones would have been a starting cornerback in another city. Fortunately for him, the Eagles did not lose interest even after news broke that he could potentially miss his rookie season.
At the time, the Eagles needed immediate help at the cornerback position. It puzzled some fans when they gambled on an injured player instead of taking a healthy one so early. The fact that Jones may not play for at least half of his rookie season created a lot of question marks around the pick. This was clearly a high-risk pick that could potentially be a high reward when he finally does return.
A couple weeks ago, Jones was officially eligible to return to practice. Although the rules allowed him to, the Eagles are still waiting patiently for the right time. As things are going great in the defensive backfield, the Eagles will likely keep Jones on the sideline until he is absolutely one-hundred percent ready to return. When that day comes, he could potentially be the best cornerback on the team.