Cornerback or safety? Cowboys still unsure of where to play Byron Jones

The Dallas Cowboys still don’t know what position best suits Byron Jones after using a first-round pick on him in 2015.

Is he a cornerback? Or is he a safety?

That continues to be an ongoing discussion at the Cowboys’ headquarters.

“That will be a work-in-progress,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday.

Byron Jones has spent the past two seasons exclusively at safety. He started every game last season, being credited with 74 tackles, four tackles for loss, three QB pressures, six passes defensed and one interception returned for a touchdown. He also tied for the team lead with 11 tackles on special teams.

Byron Jones played 910 of 1,045 defensive snaps (87.08 percent), the most of any defender. But he regressed throughout the season and split snaps with Kavon Frazier as the season wore on.

Byron Jones has shown elite ability at covering hybrid tight ends and bigger receivers, but he hasn’t developed into an Ed Reed-type center fielder at safety as the Cowboys had hoped when they drafted him.

If the Cowboys moved him to cornerback, they could explore having last year’s second-round pick, Chidobe Awuzie, move from corner to safety.

Either way, the Cowboys still like Byron Jones’ skill set and potential and will have to make a determination on his fifth-year option by May 3.

They also have to make a call on his position at some point.

This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Cornerback or safety? Cowboys still unsure of where to play Byron Jones."