Cowboys select UConn’s Jones in first round

UConn cornerback Byron Jones waited almost three hours to hear his name announced at the NFL Draft in Chicago Thursday night. But that was no problem. It was all good.

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the pick of the Dallas Cowboys at 11 p.m. (Eastern), Jones became just the second player in UConn history to be selected in the first round of a NFL draft.

“With the 27th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Byron Jones, defensive back, Connecticut,” Goodell said.

Donald Brown, the first UConn player selected in the first round, was also the No. 27 pick, taken by Indianapolis in 2009.

The NFL Network introduced Jones this way: “The guy that literally jumped out of the gym at the NFL scouting combine now makes the leap from UConn in Storrs, Connecticut down to Arlington, Texas.”

That will be the Byron Jones story as he takes his place with one of the most storied franchises in football history. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, head coach Jason Garrett and the rest of the front office staff was shown celebrating in the team’s war room when they arrived at their pick. And there is no doubt they were jumping around because of the athleticism Jones showed at the combine.

Jones made headlines during testing in Indianapolis, when he set an NFL combine record in the broad jump with a remarkable leap of 12 feet, 3 inches. That mark is a better jump than the official world record in that event. The world record has stood in track competition since Nov. 11, 1968. That’s when Norwegian Arne Tvervaag set the mark by jumping 3.71 meters (12 feet, 2 inches).

Jones also recorded an amazing vertical jump of 44.5 inches at the combine.

Making that performance even more incredible was the fact that Jones, from New Britain, had his senior season cut short by a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He had surgery in late October, after just seven games, and missed the remainder of the season. He had been considerered a potential draft pick, but he lost game time and was delayed in his preparation for the combine.

“The way I look at it is it was just an obstacle I had to get by,” Jones said in an interview with CBSSports.com before the draft.  “I’m doing very well now so I’m looking forward to the future.”

Jones actually knew he was headed to Dallas several minutes before the selection was announced on television. For some reason, picks were backed up like a traffic jam during the first round. Word of Dallas’ choice leaked out on Twitter and Jones got the call from the Cowboys long before going on stage with the commissioner.

The Cowboys entered the draft with the hope of improving their defense. Todd Archer of ESPN.com gave Dallas a “thumbs up” for the selection.

“The Cowboys went with a need and the best player available in taking Jones,” Archer wrote. “He also gives the Cowboys some position flexibility with free safety in his background. He will be a cornerback first, but the Cowboys won’t rule out using him at safety.”

Jones also figures to be a contributor on special teams.

The Cowboys were also ecstatic to draft a “high-character” player. Garrett said the Cowboys were impressed by Jones’ versatility on the field. It also didn’t hurt that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have a relationship with former UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni, who could tell them about Jones started as a redshirt freshman.

“We didn’t just draft a workout warrior here,” Garrett said. “He’s a heck of a football player and we think he’s going to be able to help us as both a cornerback, and potentially a safety. His versatility is something we really liked about him from the start.”

Jones made 37 starts in 43 career games at UConn and started the first seven games of his senior season before having season-ending surgery. He had 223 career tackles with eight career interceptions.

His father, Don, and mother, Garnette, were in Chicago with Jones and celebrated in the players’ waiting area when his name was called. Jones’ agent, Jared Fox, was among the others at the Jones’ table.

Jones talked about his parents and shared his emotions during an interview with DallasCowboys.com.

Jones was one of two first-round picks from the American Athletic Conference. Wide receiver Breshad Permian of UCF was taken at No. 26 by the Baltimore Ravens. All other first round picks came from the so-called “big five” conferences. The ACC and Pac-12 each had nine players chosen. The American tied the Big 12 with two choices.

The American had four first-round picks last season.

The draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds and rounds 4-7 will be held Saturday. Wide receiver Geremy Davis, who was second among wide receivers in the bench press with 225 pounds at 23 repetitions at the combine, is expected to drafted at some point.

Davis ended his career as the most prolific receiver in UConn’s FBS era and among the top-six in program history in receptions and receiving yards He caught a pass in every game he played, finishing his career with a reception in 36-straight contests dating back to 2011.