Cowboys Draft – Sidney Jones: “I will be playing this season”

Possible Dallas Cowboys draft target, Sidney Jones, has some bold statements and optimist news to deliver. Will it impact Dallas’ draft plans?

Washington cornerback, Sidney Jones, may be making his way onto a few more teams draft boards amidst recent news. The star cover-corner, who was once considered a first round lock and possible top-10 pick, has seen his draft stock plummet this offseason after suffering an Achilles tendon rupture during his pro day.

For teams like the Cowboys who are looking for instant contributors in the secondary, the injury may have removed Jones from draft boards entirely. But as more details about the injury arise, optimism builds.

Sidney Jones Had a Good Achilles Rupture

We all know that not all injuries are created equal. Whether you’re discussing ACL injuries, high-ankle sprains, or Achilles ruptures it’s important to realize that details matter. In the case of Sidney Jones, those details provide optimism.

According to the orthopedic surgeon who did the actual surgery, Sidney Jones has some things working in his favor:

"“He suffered a ‘classic’ (midsubstance) Achilles tendon rupture higher up on the tendon than an insertional rupture, which would take longer to heal,” USA Today Sports’ Tom Pelissero reported from Anderson. “A modern surgical technique (mini-open repair) has shown lower risk for complications and trend toward faster return to play, as documented in a paper by Kirk McCullough a few years ago (Anderson was listed as a senior author). Jones’ procedure required just three stitches.”"

The State of the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are heavily in need of defensive backs right now. Gone are 2016 starters Barry Church, Morris Claiborne, and Brandon Carr. With little done in free agency to cover those losses, many are looking to the NFL Draft to fill the many needs in the secondary.

The problem is the Cowboys need players who can contribute NOW. They don’t necessarily have the depth to allow them to draft a player to medically red-shirt his entire rookie season (like they did with Jaylon Smith last year).

If the Cowboys drafted a player like Jones at the end of the month, it would likely be with the intention of playing this season.

The Timeline

According to Sidney Jones’ doctor, six months is the average time to recover from this type of injury. One of his former patients, Terrell Suggs, is proof that such a lofty timeline is possible since it only took him five months to come back from the same injury with the same surgeon.

"“I’m going to be back on the field in six months,” Jones said. “’I’ll be ready to play. The doctor said I’ll be running in four months. From there, it’s just getting my strength back. I’ll for sure be playing this season in my mind.”"

Since the injury occurred during his March 11^th pro day, a six month return date would put him back on the field in early September. If the Cowboys medical team considers this a realistic timeline, it would be foolish not to have a player like Sidney Jones high on their board.

More from Cowboys Draft

Fellow highly regarded and injured draft hopeful, Tak McKinley, is likely to be out until roughly the same time. Yet many are projecting him to still be worthy of a Day One draft grade. The thinking is if you think Tak McKinley has “war-daddy” potential, missing the first week or so is a small price to pay to add him to the roster

Similarly, Sidney Jones must be evaluated based on his ability rather than availability. The need to compete now is still there, but if Jones is no longer a risk to miss the entire 2017 season, he needs to be back on the draft board.

Where Sidney Jones goes will be a complete mystery.

The draft is deep with cornerbacks and starting caliber options will be readily available through the second round. Jones was once considered a top-3 CB in the draft and a likely selection in the top-15. He’s a #1 corner with both man and zone coverage skills.

Next: Cowboys 7-Round Mock Draft (Overhaul the Secondary)

Sidney Jones will be back sooner rather than later. That means dreams of him falling to the Dallas Cowboys in the third round may be far-fetched. If the Cowboys want him, they’ll likely need to use their second round pick to get it done. And in September, that may look absolutely brilliant.

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