Jones Goes 6th To Titans
April 24, 2005 12:02 AM | General
April 23, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University’s Adam “Pacman” Jones was the first defensive player taken in the 2005 NFL draft when he was the sixth overall player taken by the Tennessee Titans Saturday.
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| Pacman Jones was the first defensive player taken in the 2005 NFL draft on Saturday by the Tennessee Titans.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Jones, a 5-foot-9-inch, 185-pound cornerback, was the highest Mountaineer player selected since running back Dick Leftridge was the third overall player picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1966. Two other WVU players were taken sixth overall in the draft: tackle Joe Stydahar to the Chicago Bears in 1936 and running back Joe Marconi to the Los Angeles Rams in 1958.
Jones is one of just eight WVU first-rounders and the first since tight end Anthony Becht was the 27th overall player picked by the New York Jets in 2000.
Pacman started 22 of 36 games for WVU, accumulating 201 total tackles, eight interceptions, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. Jones also accounted for nearly 2,000 career yards as a punt and kickoff returner.
“You look at our leading tackler was our corner and that’s really rare in itself,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. “After watching last year’s film he made a lot of plays where if he didn’t make them nobody else was in a position to make them. He was chasing guys down from the backside.”
Jones and Miami’s Antrel Rolle were considered the top two cornerbacks in the draft. Rolle wound up going two spots later to the Arizona Cardinals with the eighth overall pick.
“Our feeling was (Jones) had an upside in speed,” Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher told the Tennessean. “We felt he was the total package in playmaking, his ability to leap and change direction, and return. He was a better total package than Antrel was.”
Tipping the balance in Pacman’s favor was the fact that he also had value as a returner, which Fisher indicated he would play a role in although the coach didn’t elaborate.
Jones is the first WVU defensive player taken in the first round since Renaldo Turnbull was the 14th overall pick in the 1990 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. Jones was also the first Big East player picked.
Also, Mountaineer wide receiver Chris Henry was the 83rd overall player selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round. Henry caught 52 passes for 872 yards and 12 touchdowns last year as a junior and finished his two-year career at WVU with 93 catches for 1,878 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“He’s got tons of talent,” said ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. of Henry. “Hopefully he will learn from what he did wrong this past year when he didn’t go out and perform like he did two years ago when he averaged 24.6 yards per catch and was actually one of the best young receivers in all of college football.
“He’s 6-4, nearly 200 pounds with good speed, can really jump; he’s athletic and what he needs to do is go out and focus and be a guy that will be coachable for Marvin Lewis and go out and try and perform,” Kiper said.
Henry’s selection gives West Virginia multiple draft picks for the second time in three years. In 2003, Lance Nimmo and James Davis were taken in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively.
It is also the first time the Mountaineers have had a pair of top 100 players since 2000 when Becht went 27th and Jerry Porter was the 47th overall player taken in the second round by the Oakland Raiders. Linebacker Barrett Green (50th overall) was also a top-100 choice that year.
Mountaineer players still hoping to go in rounds four through seven on Sunday include running back Kay-Jay Harris, offensive tackle Mike Watson, wide receiver Rasheed Marshall and center Tim Brown.
