The Eagles may not have a pick in either the second or third rounds of this year's draft, but they are adding another first-round talent into the mix.
On the season debut of the Journey to the Draft podcast, DraftAnalyst.com's Tony Pauline said that Sidney Jones would be "the first cornerback taken in this year's class, no doubt about it. He's probably a top-12 pick."
Jones declared for the 2017 NFL Draft as an underclassman after earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors for the Pac-12 Champion Washington Huskies. In 40 career college games, Jones had 140 tackles, 30 pass deflections, nine interceptions, six forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Primed to be a first-round pick, Jones ruptured his Achilles during the Huskies' Pro Day last March. The Eagles felt comfortable enough with his recovery that they chose him in the second round with the 43rd overall pick.
The 6-0, 181-pound Jones rehabbed feverishly and made his NFL debut in the regular-season finale against the Cowboys. He made three tackles in 29 snaps on defense.
Jones will turn 22 in May and joins a talented cornerback group that includes Ronald Darby, Jalen Mills, and 2017 third-round pick Rasul Douglas. Nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.
The Eagles' belief in Jones is set to pay off in a big way in 2018.
"There is no doubt in my mind he is the top pure cornerback in this year's class," Pauline said of Jones.
