In Mike Mayock’s first year as the Raiders’ general manager, the Oakland Raiders were highly aggressive in free agency. The team signed numerous big-name veterans, such as Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Lamarcus Joyner.
With a ton of cap space available once again, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Raiders make some significant signings during the new league year. One player the team could target is Cowboys’ cornerback Byron Jones, who is set to become a free agent in March.
Dallas selected Jones with the No. 27 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he’s become one of the league’s best cornerbacks. While he doesn’t create a ton of turnovers, he is someone that quarterbacks avoid due to his coverage ability. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones is the arguably the best defensive player set to hit the open market:
A move to cornerback rejuvenated Jones’ career in 2018, as he showed that he could play single coverage on the outside at a high level. He finished with the 14th-best coverage grade among corners in 2018 (80.4) before dropping to 21st in 2019 (74.8), but those are extremely valuable numbers as he hits the open market. Many will point to Jones not picking off a pass over the last two years, but his 74.1 coverage grade in single coverage is 11th-best during that time, and he has also shown the ability to match up against tight ends when called upon.
If the Raiders were able to sign a player like Jones, he would instantly make their defense better as he would improve the play of everyone around him. Trayvon Mullen would be moved to the No. 2 cornerback role where he could face lesser receivers. The pass rush would have more time to get to the quarterback as Jones can help take away a team’s top target.
Best of all, Jones is still a relatively young player (27) with outstanding football character. He’s also highly durable, missing just one game in his NFL career. If the Raiders do want to spend in free agency, Jones should be their top target. He is exactly what their defense needs to take the next step.
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