Green Bay Packers: Josh Jones can flourish limited to one position

The Green Bay Packers moved Josh Jones around on defense a lot last season. Keeping him solely at safety could help him take a massive leap in 2018 though.

Linebacker. Cornerback. Safety. There were a lot of different positions for Josh Jones in his first NFL season with the Green Bay Packers last year. He put together a pretty strong rookie campaign too, accumulating 71 tackles and two sacks, as well as five pass deflections and one interception.

That moving around had to cause some problems for the young star though. Jones played well through it all and didn’t complain, but that’s a lot to swallow. Learning an NFL defense is tough as it is. You need to know where you’re positioned and who (or what zone) to cover or follow. Then of course you need to execute.

Now multiple that by three. Jones is set to play safety in 2018 though — just safety.

Due to his solid rookie season, the 23-year old was expected to take a step forward in 2018 already. Now he’s knocking off two positions to worry about, however. That leaves just safety to focus on, giving him more time to perfect the craft.

This isn’t just about Jones playing just one position now though. His skillset makes a leap in production expected no matter the circumstance. Given a full year in a system to learn can do wonders for many. Add in the 6-2, 208-pound frame of Jones and his ridiculous 4.4 speed and the Packers have a dynamic duo at safety.

With Ha Ha Clinton-Dix opposite him, Jones is given the advantage of having a stud beside him. This takes away some of the burden and allows Jones to just play his game. In fact, the secondary as whole looks to be vastly improved next season. The addition of two high draft picks and veteran cornerback Tramon Williams deliver the help they needed.

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All of this is the perfect storm to create the perfect situation for Josh Jones. Now can the Green Bay Packers safety (and just safety) take a step forward in 2018? All signs point to it happening.