Cyrus Jones had a great meeting with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick before Alabama's pro day in March, and hoped it might pay dividends come draft time.

It did in a major way on Friday night when the New England Patriots selected Jones in the second round. The Alabama cornerback didn't expect to be taken that highly -- most draft projections had him going in the third or fourth round -- but knew the Patriots were interested in him. When it came time for New England to pick in the second round, Jones was doing everything he could to will the Patriots to take him.

"When that pick came up, I was just praying to God that they would take a chance on me, and that I'd have an opportunity to land in such a great organization," Jones said during a media conference call. "This is one of the best organizations in the whole league, possibly the best. I couldn't be more happy with where I ended up."

The 5-foot-10, 197-pound cornerback was one of five Alabama players taken in the second round of the NFL Draft, joining defensive end A'Shawn Robinson (Detroit Lions), linebacker Reggie Ragland (Buffalo Bills), running back Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (Seattle Seahawks).

Jones should be able to work his way into the rotation early as both a defensive back and as a punt returner. During his last season at Alabama, Jones returned four punts for touchdowns and served as the Crimson Tide's top cornerback. He might play more inside as a nickel cornerback than he did at Alabama where he primarily played in press coverage, but Jones has the mindset and diligence to be well prepared for any role the Patriots might throw at him.

"I love watching film,'' Jones said. "I used to get teased a lot at 'Bama by my coaches that I should have an office near where their offices were because I was up there so much watching film. Almost as much as them. I love watching film and I think it's the key to becoming a better player.''