Jones Might Be Raiders' Next Star CB

The Las Vegas Raiders have a history of bold moves, taking players labeled as troubled and realizing their potential as players and people, and Jack Jones may be the next great.

The Las Vegas-Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders have had several outstanding cornerbacks in their 64-year history, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Willie Brown, Charles Woodson, and Mike Haynes.

In addition, many others such as Lester Hayes, Eric Allen, Terry McDaniel, Nnamdi Asomugha, Lionel Washington, Skip Thomas, Phillip Buchanon, Fred Williamson, Dave Grayson, Kent McCloughan, Tory James, Rod Woodson and Albert Lewis also stood out on the corner for the Silver and Black.

And now, second-year Raider Jack Jones might someday be added to that list.

“He’s always been a wild card,” said Raiders Interim Coach Anthonio Pierce, who also was Jones’ coach at Long Beach Poly High in Southern California and his Defensive Coordinator at Arizona State.

Jack Jones might be the Las Vegas Raiders' next star cornerback / © Jay Biggerstaff | 2023 Dec 25

“He’s a very good football player. The kid does it with a smile. He loves football. Football means a lot to Jack. Football was a way for him to get out of the hood, to be honest. He used those resources to benefit his life and his family. He went to ASU, got himself a degree. He’s a father, just a good man.”

Said Jones: “(Pierce) is damn near a father figure for me, from high school to now. He’s a very big piece of my life.”

Jones has returned interceptions for touchdowns in the Raiders’ last two games, running 16 yards for a score in their 63-21 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers and going 33 yards for a TD in Las Vegas’ 20-14 upset of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

In addition, Jones can be feisty, as he got into a jawing match with several of the Chiefs following his interception, and Pierce had to go out onto the field to calm him down.

Jones was selected in the fourth round (No. 121 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots out of Arizona State, where he was a first-team All-Pacific 12 Conference selection in 2019 as a sophomore and honorable mention All-Pac 12 as a senior.

Initially signed by USC out of high school, he flunked out of school as a freshman and went to Moorpark College in California to improve his grades, and then transferred to ASU, where he started for three seasons.

Jones was starting for the Patriots at the start of this season, but he sustained a hamstring injury and was placed on the Injured Reserve List. He returned to the lineup but missed curfew the night before the Week 9 game and was waived by the Patriots on Nov. 13.

Then he signed with the Raiders, and Pierce had much to do with that.

In addition to his two interceptions for the Raiders this season, the 5-11 180-pound Jones has 32 total tackles, including 25 solo stops and four pass breakups in the nine games he has played in Silver and Black.

The Raiders have two games remaining in the regular season, on New Year’s Eve this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and on Sunday, January 7, against the AFC West rival Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Jones might have an opportunity to tie the Raiders’ franchise record of three pass interceptions returned for touchdowns in one season, set by Eric Allen in 2000.

With two pick-sixes this season, Jones is tied for second with Grayson, Buchanon, Hayes, McDaniel, Rod Martin, Anthony Dorsett, Rod Woodson, Eddie Anderson, Erik Harris, Warren Powers, Gus Otto, Jimmy Warren, and Thomas Howard.

Again, that’s pretty exalted company for Jones.

However, when he ran down the sideline to score against the Chiefs, longtime fans of Raider Nation had to be reminded of Willie Brown intercepting a pass from Fran Tarkenton and returning it 75 yards down the sideline for a touchdown in the final minutes of the Raiders’ 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

“Old Man Willie! He’s going all the way,” chortled Bill King, the legendary play-by-play voice of the Raiders, on the game’s radio broadcast.

Jones is going all the way for the Raiders, too.

The Silver and Black continue the season on New Year's Eve versus the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Don't miss it on Sunday, December 31, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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