The Las Vegas Raiders were in search of answers at the cornerback position during the 2023 NFL season. When Antonio Pierce took over as the interim head coach, he knew just the player, as he coached him in both high school and college.
That player was Jack Jones, who Raider Nation grew to love over the second half of that campaign. He captivated the fan base with his trash-talking pick-six against Patrick Mahomes, and he had arguably the most impressive interception in the NFL over the last few seasons against the Chargers.
However, when the team and fan base were counting on him to be a true No. 1 cornerback last season, Jones became far too inconsistent. The new regime parted ways with him before the 2025 NFL Draft, and after spending all summer as a free agent, he recently signed with the Miami Dolphins.
Jack Jones cooked by Amon-Ra St. Brown at Lions-Dolphins joint practice
Miami has endured several injuries to the cornerback position, so Jones stepped into the building as an immediate starter. Expectations are certainly not high for the Dolphins this season, but the latest video of Jack Jones paints an especially concerning picture for the Miami secondary.
During Thursday's joint practice with the Detroit Lions, Jones tasked himself with guarding wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the league's best, during both the one-on-one and team portions. Jones, who now wears No. 23, was getting tormented by St. Brown, plain and simple.
Amon-Ra St. Highlight pic.twitter.com/VYc0jmZNKm
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 13, 2025
This footage confirms exactly what Raider Nation already knew about Jones, which is that, while incredibly talented and containing the right mindset of wanting to go up against the best, he is not quite at the level to hang with the elite wideouts in the league.
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Jones is certainly a big play waiting to happen, as he recorded three pick-sixes and 20 passes defended in 24 games with the Silver and Black. However, he also gave up nine touchdowns, including eight last season, according to Pro Football Reference.
Carroll also has a specific physical makeup that he desires in a defensive back, and Jones was far from this. He can still have plenty of success in the NFL, but Wednesday's video depicts him as the boom-or-bust player that the fan base came to recognize in 2024.
Las Vegas now has a smattering of young, long, physical and fast cornerbacks, who they are hoping can develop and take the next step to help the Raiders' defense. Jones, however, will make another attempt at proving that he can hang with the best in the league in Miami.
If he can ascend and become this level of player, then the Raiders may regret ever letting him go. Based on recent footage, however, it seems like Las Vegas may be better, or at least no worse, off in 2025.