Cornerback is doing his best to make the team, and to help the quarterback of the future at the same time
Nic Jones knows he’s not in Kansas City anymore.
A 2023 seventh-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, Jones was part of teams that went to the Super Bowl — winning one — in his two seasons there. Now that he is a trying to continue his career with the New York Giants, a team that has gone 9-25 the past two seasons, he understands the difference.
“I really feel like the difference here more so is like that bubbling excitement. Like KC, not to say like they aren’t excited, but it’s real structured, studious. The standard’s already been set for who they are,” Jones said.
“Over here, you have that hunger, that excitement every day because we’re chasing that standard. We’re trying to establish an identity for this defense and this team, and I think that’s something that just gets you going every day, knowing that people are doubting you, there’s questions still about you, as opposed to KC. They kind of just assume we’re the best team, whatever.
“But over here, we take that with a chip on our shoulder every day. They don’t see us that way, but we see us that way.”
Jones played in 10 games for Kansas City in two seasons, nine of those in 2023. He spent most of last season on the Chiefs’ practice squad.
The Chiefs did not bring him back after last season, and Jones signed with the Giants. He is competing for a spot as a reserve cornerback.
“I’m mainly really just grateful for every opportunity. Like being a MAC kid, under-recruited out of high school, got hurt in college, had to play my way to get here, seventh-round pick,” Jones said. “It’s kind of like doing the same process all over again. Seventh round pick is you can almost think of being undervalued in a way because nobody sees themselves as a seventh-round pick. Obviously, I see myself as a lot more.
“So honestly, even now, just taking a chance on myself, you know, a free agent, 23, a young defense that’s looking for pieces, that’s looking for hungry guys, contributors. I feel like this fits me being here.”
Jones spent the early portion of training camp tormenting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. He took Dart’s first 11-on-11 pass of camp to the house with a pick six. He has knocked down a couple of Dart passes, and blitzed to sack the rookie on at least two occasions.
The two have become, for lack of a better way to put it, frenemies.
“It’s competitive. I think he enjoys it because he likes a good challenge,” Jones said. “His locker’s like two seats down from mine, and we just back and forth talk ball, like all day. It’s definitely fun to compete with him because he’s super-talented.”
Jones has no issue sharing information with Dart when he is able to make a play against him.
“We’re all moving in the same direction. At the end of the day, there isn’t really an us versus us,” Jones said. “He’s likely the future, and he’s young, and he’s taking everything in. He’s a sponge, so anything I can do to help him, I’m sure it helps us in the long run.”
What did Jones tell Dart after his red zone pick six on the first day of camp?
“See me seeing him,” Jones said. “If you can see me and my eyes are right on you, odds are there’s nothing I can’t see.
“You can move me. There’s a lot of ways you can manipulate me, but I’ve got a bead on you.
“Especially in the low red, everything is moving so fast. Odds are I’m going to go with the first thing you show me. And if you’re staring one way a little hard, I’m ready to go.”
Jones said he has noticed improvement from Dart since training camp began.
“Really just the decision-making,” Jones said. “We’re up to practice eight or nine now, and every day his processing gets faster. Because the talent was always there. I think that was the easiest part of his game, his arm doing a lot of work.
And now you see his mind doing a little more work day by day. Whether it’s, you know, it’s cadence. I don’t time the blitzes as well. When it’s him getting his hard count together, seeing pressure, making his checks. He feels more in control.
“You can tell by the day he gets more confident.”
So, the 23-year-old Jones has helped himself, and the team’s rookie quarterback, so far in camp.
“I think it’s about consistency. Nobody’s ever made a team off a hot week,” Jones said. “So I always think about just what can I do to build off the previous day, the mistakes I made the day before. Don’t repeat them the next day. What did I do good the day before? Can I capitalize on that the next day?
“But I feel good every day just coming in, giving myself the best chance to make contributions to this defense.”