Patriots rookie Jack Jones appears to be the steal of the draft

The New England Patriots are living proof that good teams know how to make the most of their draft picks. Bill Belichick has found hidden gems in NFL drafts for years, constantly updating his roster without needing to pay big bucks for free agents or attracting top talent. Training camp was no exception to that trend. In the fourth round, it appears that they snagged another steal, as Jack Jones' sticky coverage seemed to be quite impressive: According to Mark Reiss of ESPN, "if Jack Jones emerges as a contributor after strong performances in spring practices, it will demonstrate the financial value of receiving contributions from rookies."

Jones signed a new contract Thursday, which included a $746,984 signing bonus as well as $700,000 base salaries of $870,000, $985,000, and $1.1 million. Therefore, he would incur cap charges of $891,746, $1.05 million, $1.1 million, and $1.2 million."After losing CB J.C. Johnson in free agency. Jones may go from relative unknown to All-Pro: Having helped develop J.C. Jackson into one of the best corners in the NFL once upon a time, the New England Patriots helped develop him into an undrafted free agent, wrote Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report.

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Following Jackson's departure for the Los Angeles Chargers, the team must once again rely on development after losing Jackson to free agency. Fourth-round pick Jack Jones is already making a strong case for himself."But it isn't surprising that he developed that way. A defensive-minded coach like Herm Edwards and Marvin Lewis trained him to bring out the best in him: Edwards and Lewis both coached at the NFL level as defensive coordinators. They appeared to have succeeded in developing Jones, who started opposite Jalen Mills at mandatory minicamp, Ballantine explained.

The Pats selected him in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft, so he wasn't even the first CB they took. This might mean Marcus Jones will be even better, so they'll be stacked in that position for years to come: As Ballentine wrote, "Jones was the Patriots' second corner in the draft. Marcus Jones was their third-round pick, but he has been hampered by a shoulder injury and projects as a slot corner".In the words of ESPN.com's Michael Lewis, "Jones does not have to be an All-Pro corner in Year 1. If even becomes a starter, that is excellent value."