Pro Football Focus' highest-graded Patriots player in 2019 might surprise you

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The New England Patriots have received excellent performances from many players en route to an 8-1 start to the 2019 season, but one player stands out above the rest in Pro Football Focus' individual grades.

Which Patriots player has PFF graded the highest through 10 weeks? No, it's not Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Jamie Collins or Stephon Gilmore. It's cornerback Jonathan Jones, who has excelled in just about every facet of the defense in 2019.

Here's what PFF wrote about Jones in their recent recap of every team's highest-graded player entering Week 11:

CB JONATHAN JONES, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS – 88.8

Stephon Gilmore is the household name in New England, but it’s Jones that leads the team in overall grade entering Week 11. He also leads all cornerbacks in overall grade (88.8) while ranking third in run-defense grade (81.6) and tied for second in coverage grade (88.7).

How much does Jones impact winning? The Patriots have a 21-3 record (.875 win percentage), including the playoffs, when Jones plays 50 percent or more of their defensive snaps in a game. He didn't play 50 percent of New England's defensive snaps in its Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Jones was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He's tallied 35 tackles with two forced fumbles and five passes defensed in nine games this season. Jones' stellar play is a big reason why the Patriots defense ranks No. 2 in passing yards allowed per game, No. 1 in pass yards allowed per attempt, No. 1 in opposing QB rating and No. 1 in interceptions through 10 weeks.

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