THE RIGHT MOVES
Derrick Jones may dance way onto Jet roster
He’s jumping off the tape, this skinny player with an apropos nickname, making plays left and right like some dude who used to wear the same jersey number for the Jets the last time they were relevant.
He’s a project, an athlete, a hell of a dancer (more on that later) and a tantalizing piece that has crashed the party in the first week of training camp.
It’s been impossible to ignore Derrick Jones.
For all the focus on the Jets quarterbacks, freeagent additions and rookies, this second-year, sixth-round cornerback has stolen the show through the first six practices by popping up time and time again.
No matter who you focus on before the snap, Jones invariably comes into your field of vision. He’s been everywhere. It looks the Jets made a wise investment in this project.
“He keeps showing up in practice every day,” general manager Mike Maccagnan said. “Now, of course, time will tell how he continues to progress or not. But you see those little things. Those guys are kind of wild cards. It was like when we had Robby (Anderson) the first year. We (thought), ‘Oh. We may have something in him as an (undrafted) free agent. And suddenly, he sort of blossomed.”
The 6-2, 188-pound Jones, or “Bones” to his buddies, has made a remarkable leap in his development after the Jets plucked the converted wide receiver from Ole Miss with the 204th overall pick of the 2017 draft.
While most late-round projects fizzle quickly, Jones has been the biggest surprise of camp after logging only 18 specialteams snaps in three games as a rookie.
“What did I learn most from my rookie season? That’s a good question… Knowing my assignment,” Jones told the Daily News. “I never questioned my athletic ability. For me, it was knowing what to do on a specific play.”
“Everything is definitely a whole lot slower for me now,” added Jones, who has three interceptions (and a couple close calls) in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills through the first six practices. “I’m really starting to think through my assignment and really just know what I’m supposed to do. I just try to come out and be consistent on a daily basis and try to hone in on my assignment. As long as I know what I’m doing, the plays will come.”
He’s been making plays with regularity, an equal-opportunity nuisance for Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold, who have each watched Jones either pick them off or deflect a pass that led to an interception in the first week of camp.
“My man’s making plays,” McCown cracked as he walked over Jones after practice this week with a hearty pat on the back and a laugh. “I had to give him a couple to get his confidence up.”
It’s been a fun evolution for Jones, who was a threestar wide receiver recruit out of high school. He was the 89th ranked wideout in the nation before Mississippi moved him to defensive back as a freshman due to a passcatcher logjam. Then, things really got interesting.
Jones bounced from defensive back to receiver in his sophomore and junior seasons. “I was back and forth,” he said. “During practice, I would practice both sides: offense and defense.”
Jones made his final conversion back to full-time cornerback as a senior.
“I just like the things that come with playing corner,” Jones said. “Receiver came easy for me because I could run, jump and catch. That was simple for me. Now, DB was challenging. And I like a challenge in life.”
He opened eyes in NFL scouting circles with a standout Pro Day that included a 41-inch vertical jump and better than 11-foot broad jump. His athleticism and explosiveness were evident even though he was raw at his position.
From a distance, he looks like a mini-Antonio Cromartie, who wore the same No. 31 the last time the Jets made the playoffs.
“Mentally, he’s come back a lot sharper,” Todd Bowles said. “He’s not swimming like he was last year. So, from that standpoint he’s been outstanding. He’s in great shape and he’s not swimming, so the game slows down for him some. It will be interesting to see how he plays (moving forward).”
Defensive back Dennard Wilson has been particularly instrumental in Jones’ growth, teaching him the nuances of the position in nononsense fashion.
“I would rather him be a hard-ass than him let me get away with things that’s going to get me in trouble in the game,” Jones said of Wilson. “I love the way he coaches. Great coach. He’s smart. He makes you a smarter player.”
With Trumaine Johnson, Mo Claiborne and Buster Skrine penciled in as the top three corners, Jones is competing with about six others for three more roster spots. Seeing is believing, but Jones certainly has made a strong early case to earn one of those remaining spots. He has a comfort level that was missing a year ago. His performance in the preseason will be telling.
Jones will have a place on the roster if he continues to flash the anticipation and smarts in the preseason that have been defined his first week of camp. And if he gets on the field this year, you’ll likely see him flash his other skill.
The “Jets Dance to Anything” clip that went viral last season evidently was missing the team’s best dancer. The consensus in the locker room: Nobody can bust a move like Bones.
“I got a few dance moves, man,” Jones said with a laugh. “We have fun around here.”
So, is he the actual best dancer on the team?
“That’s fair to say,” he said. “I’ll take that one.”
If he continues to make plays like the ones we’ve seen this summer, everybody in the building will be dancing.