The Pittsburgh Steelers have holes to fill in their secondary this offseason. The Bleacher Report NFL scouting department argued that the Steelers could turn to an old rival to address that need.
The Bleacher Report team named New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones a top trade target for the Steelers this offseason.
“Jonathan Jones is 30 years old, and the Patriots are in rebuild mode,” Bleacher Report wrote. “They might be willing to part with the veteran if it gives them an extra pick in the draft and saves money.”
A former undrafted free agent, Jones has played eight seasons for the Patriots. He was a depth cornerback on the team when they won the Super Bowl following the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
In 2022, Jones became a permanent starter. During 2023, he had 48 combined tackles and 7 pass defenses in 14 games.
How CB Jonathan Jones Could Fit With the Steelers
Jones went undrafted from Auburn in 2016, but he landed as a free agent with the eventual Super Bowl champions his rookie season. Jones made the team as a rookie and even started 1 game.
He also appeared in all three of the team’s playoff games in 2017.
Jones didn’t become a regular starter until 2022, but he did start at least 1 game in each of his first six seasons. In 2019, he started in 9 contests and then made 7 starts during 2020.
In 2023, Jones earned a very solid 76.5 player grade at Pro Football Focus. He’s posted at least a 68.1 player grade at PFF in four of his past five seasons.
