What Elijah Jones Brings to Cardinals Secondary

The Arizona Cardinals take another cornerback with their final pick of 2024's day two.

Jan 30, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; American defensive back Elijah Jones of Boston College (29) works / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Eljiah Jones out of Boston College with the 90th overall pick. Despite adding Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency and drafting Max Melton with the 43rd overall pick, Arizona still has work to do in their secondary.

Jones fits a common theme among Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort's acquisitions so far in 2024. He played six seasons of college football, and started an overwhelming majority of said games. From 2019-2021, Jones didn't miss a single contest, and started 20 games in 2022 and 2023.

Jones has a slightly bigger frame, measuring in at nearly 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. He doesn't show off exceptional athleticism, but is a ball magnet, recording 21 PBUs and a remarkable seven interceptions in his final two seasons. He has good timing, a proclivity to jump routes, and an ability to get to the ball that can't be taught.

He isn't the most versatile or athletic player on the field, but with a developmental former defensive backs coach in Gannon, Jones is another prospect that has nowhere to go but up on a defense that previously struggled to take the ball away.

The Cardinals need everything. But this pick adds an aggressive young corner to the secondary who could create some serious chaos if opposing QBs aren't careful. This young man will do anything to make sure the ball isn't caught, so there might be a learning curve with regards to clean NFL play, but he has the potential to slot in as an immediate disruptor in the secondary in the right scheme.