Alabama CB Cyrus Jones will make a pre-draft visit to the Bills according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Some Buffalo Bills fans may be shocked that the team is looking at cornerback prospects in the draft considering they have one of the best cornerback pairings in the league with Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby.
Alabama cornerback-kick returner Cyrus Jones to visit Ravens, Eagles, Bills, Saints; work out privately for Panthers, Buccaneers
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 23, 2016
Fans shouldn’t be shocked by this news though. Rex Ryan’s system calls for great cornerback play and he has made no secret about his love affair with cornerbacks in the past (Revis, Cromartie). With the league moving towards more spread formations and passing plays, cornerback has become an even more important position than it was in the past.
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Some fans moaned last year when the Bills used their second round pick to select Ronald Darby. Those same fans look pretty silly right now for mocking the pick. Yes, the Bills had other draft needs last year but the pick of Darby proves you can never have too many good corners on a roster.
CB Cyrus Jones is listed at 5’10” and 197 pounds by NFL.com. He started his college career as a receiver but switched to cornerback in his sophomore year. In addition to playing cornerback, Cyrus Jones can also serve as a kick returner which the Bills are in need of.
CBSSports.com ranks Jones as the 11th best cornerback in the draft. They project him to be selected in either the 3rd or the 4th round. Ideally, Buffalo would like to get starters at linebacker and on the defensive line in the first and second rounds of the draft so it makes sense for them to look at cornerbacks in the third round and after.
One of the major knocks on Cyrus Jones is his lack of ideal height and reach. Overcoming that will be his biggest challenge when transitioning to the NFL where the receivers are much bigger and stronger than the ones in college.
Buffalo could use an upgrade over their current nickel corner Nickell Robey who ranked as the 90th best cornerback in the league last year according to Pro Football Focus.
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Cyrus Jones’ lack of ideal size might not bother the Bills as much as other teams because he is taller than Robey who is only 5’8″. With the Bills third round pick, or with either of their two fourth-round picks, look for the team to strongly consider drafting Alabama CB Cyrus Jones.