The Patriots have locked in one of their captains and top defenders by signing CB/PR Marcus Jones to a contract extension on Tuesday.
As a 2022 third-round draft choice, Jones was set to be an unrestricted free agent in the 2026 offseason. Instead, New England locked up Jones before he hits the open market. Along with being an All-Pro caliber punt returner, Jones has developed into a locker-room leader and an excellent corner. This season, Jones leads the team with nine passes defensed and is tied with LB Robert Spillane with a team-high two interceptions, playing arguably one of the toughest positions in the Patriots defense as the primary nickel corner in the slot on 68.5% of his snaps.
On defense, Jones has great instincts in zone coverage and is a sticky man-coverage defender. Despite playing inside where receivers have ample room to operate, Jones ranks fifth among slot corners in success rate in man coverage (42.9%), with four passes defensed in man-to-man. Jones has also forced quarterbacks to throw into a tight window on 30.8% of his man coverage snaps, ranking seventh among slot cornerbacks.
