Last season, one of Antonio Pierce's first moves as interim head coach was to take a gamble. It was a small one, but it eventually paid off big time. The Las Vegas Raiders grabbed cornerback Jack Jones from the waiver wire, and if he didn't play the way Pierce thought he could, then no big deal; he wasn't being paid much at all. If he did play the way Pierce thought, they would have a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback.
I guess it's safe to say it worked out. Jones is still getting better, and he is already a really good player that the Raiders will use to build their secondary around. And, better yet - he's a Raider. He fits the Raider way of old. And he's starting to look like he has the potential to be a top guy in this league at his position.
Of course, he already knows he is.
"I believe I'm a premier corner already myself. I'm not really worried about what y'all say respectively," Jones said during OTAs earlier this week. "I'm not really worried about what y'all say. I just go out there and play ball. My goal this year is to be the number one defense, make the playoffs, and go further in the playoffs than we did last year."
His performance speaks for itself. Just watch the tape from the second matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, he had a pick-six in both games, which is impressive in itself. But what's more telling is the way he handled himself on the field, demonstrating his potential as a premier cornerback in this league.
He had a look in his eye against both teams, specifically Patrick Mahomes, that showed that he was supposed to be on this team. And that showed a lot of people that he has the potential to be a premier CB in this league. But, the confidence he has is exactly what you need in the NFL
