Indianapolis Colts’ cornerback Jaylon Jones has had quite the roller coaster ride over the past five or six years. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. At Texas A&M, he made slow, steady progress but never took the big leap forward that had been expected.
NFL scouts saw a near-perfect frame for a perimeter corner. 6’2” and 200 pounds, with a willingness to attack runners. But they also saw times in the 40 and short shuttle that placed him near the bottom of all cornerback prospects.
Though many of those scouts put a fourth-round grade on him, they also worried that his lack of long speed and agility would combine with his natural physical play and result in penalties.
The Colts were able to wait until the seventh round and choose him in the 2023 draft. It seemed likely at the time that Chris Ballard was not planning on taking Jones. He had already selected two similar cornerbacks in earlier rounds. But Jones was too good a value in round seven to pass up.
Colts’ Jaylon Jones faces another challenge to maintain his roster spot
By the end of his second pro season, Jones was back on top again. The two corners that Ballard took ahead of him – JuJu Brents and Darius Rush – were either already gone (Rush) or on their way out (Brents). Jones, meanwhile, had just played almost every snap on defense in 2024.
Though the Colts clearly wanted an upgrade at corner, it seemed certain that Jones’ spot was secure, either as a starter or as a top reserve.
Jones was not perfect in his second season. The physical play about which scouts had cautioned did result in penalties. But he was clearly improving overall. Still, Ballard signed Charvarius Ward in free agency and used a third-round draft pick on Justin Walley. It initially appeared as if that trio, along with slot veteran Kenny Moore, would form the core of Indy’s cornerback group.
But if you have followed the Colts’ beleaguered secondary this season, you know none of that came to pass. Walley was lost in the preseason. Theoretically, Jones should have stepped into that vacancy and contributed plenty of snaps once again. But he struggled with a hamstring issue throughout preseason, and it flared up in the first week of the regular season. He missed the next seven games.
By the time he returned to action, several roster moves had either already happened or were in the works. A group of young players had been forced into action. A new alpha corner was about to arrive.
The bottom line is that Indianapolis projects to have a crowded cornerback room in 2026. Ward has been out with a concussion but says he intends to return next season. Moore is getting on in years but remains the Colts’ steadiest presence at the position. Walley will return, and the recently acquired Sauce Gardner will be expected to lead the entire group.
Mekhi Blackmon has played a lot this season and will be in the final season of a team-friendly contract. Neither Ward nor Moore is a stone-cold roster lock for next year, but both seem likely. Gardner, Walley, and Blackmon should be considered locks. That adds up to five cornerbacks who are likely to have spots.
If it all plays out that way, it might leave Jones fighting for a roster spot with the likes of Johnathan Edwards, Cameron Mitchell, and Chris Lammons, as well as with anyone else the team may bring in through free agency or the draft.
To be sure, none of those players is secure. Mitchell has played well of late, and Lammons' special teams play gives him added value. Edwards has struggled in his rookie season, but the UDFA has shown enticing flashes and has gained valuable experience this season.
Jones had his breakout season in 2024 under Gus Bradley and position coach Ron Milus. Both are gone now. There are new coaches in place, and Jones has not yet earned much playing time under the new regime. If everything remains as it is today, he will begin the 2026 season facing an uphill challenge to retain a roster spot.
Of course, if this year has taught us anything, it’s that cornerbacks get injured at an alarmingly high rate. A few new injuries change the math on everything.
And even without injuries, Jaylon Jones may rebound once again and show why scouts have been intrigued by his talent dating back to his high school days. At the very least, he will hopefully remain healthy and get a chance to show what he can do.