Jim Harbaugh was at TCU’s pro day to see quarterback Andy Dalton.
But maybe he also got a look at Horned Frogs safety Colin Jones, who turned heads with an impressive performance (4.34 40-yard dash, 37-inch vertical jump and 10-4 broad jump). The 49ers drafted Jones in the sixth round today with the 190th overall pick.
Jones (6-0, 208), who made just five starts prior to his senior season, took some momentum into the pre-draft season with a 10-tackle, two-pass-breakup performance in TCU’s Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin.
“I think it jump-started it,” Jones said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out than the Rose Bowl and I had a good game … But I had a good pro day and that really got things going. A lot of teams started jumping on a little bit after that performance.”
The 49ers were one of those teams. They had a personal workout with Jones after his pro day – they worked him out primarily at free safety – and Jones said he was in frequent contact with secondary coach Ed Donatell and special teams coach Brad Seely in the two weeks prior to the draft.
Jones was a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection this past season after collecting 80 tackles, including 11.5 for loss.
Jones can likely secure a spot on the roster with solid special-teams play. He says he’s ready for that after playing for TCU coach Gary Patterson.
“He makes us play special teams even when we’re two-year starters,” Jones said. “It’s really beneficial, especially when you’re trying to make a team at the next level because that’s what you’re going to be required to do unless you’re a top guy.”
Comments are closed.