DeJuan Jones did not play in the New England Revolution’s last three regular-season games, but coach Bruce Arena decided to make a tactical change going into their playoff game against defending MLS champion Atlanta United back on Oct. 19.

That switch: Putting Jones, the former East Lansing High School and Michigan State standout, into the starting lineup at left back in place of former U.S. men's national team player Edgar Castillo.

In the regular-season finale, Castillo had struggled with the pace of Atlanta winger Julian Gressel and Arena elected to make the change.

The move did not lead to a victory, as the Revolution lost, 1-0, but Jones did the job that was asked of him and proved Arena’s faith in him was warranted.

“That was really cool to see that the new coaching staff trusted me for that really big moment in front of 60,000-plus fans in the playoff game,” Jones said. “I’ve never played in front of that many people. It was loud; there were a couple of moments that were just deafening, you can’t hear your teammates talking to you.

"People were asking me if I was nervous. I was really excited, moments that I pray for and dream for. ... It sucks that we lost, but we have a really strong core coming back next year and we’ll be even better."

Jones will be an important part of that core, especially considering the events of the offseason. New England did not renew Castillo’s contract, and instead of just picking up the second-year option on Jones’ contract, the club gave him a two-year guaranteed contract that will also provide a pay increase from $56,000-plus he made as a rookie.

“(Arena) is the head coach and the general manager. It was really cool to see how much trust he has in me and the future of the team," Jones said.

Jones played in 20 of New England’s 34 MLS matches, starting 14, and played in one U.S. Open Cup match. Jones finished his rookie campaign with one goal and one assist in 1,296 total minutes.

Despite receiving the new contract and Castillo leaving, Jones probably won't be the starting left back next season. In the offseason, the Revolution signed another fullback, and one with European pedigree, in Alexander Buttner. The 30-year-old Dutchman has played for several teams over the years, including Manchester United from 2012-14, and last played with Vitesse in the Netherlands.

While Jones may not be currently slated to start at left back, the team did protect Jones for the expansion draft (Inter Miami and Nashville are joining MLS next year), another sign of their belief in him.

“Whether that means he’s competing for time at left back, or a wing midfielder, that’ll play out in the preseason when the whole roster gets fleshed out,” said Jeff Lemieux, who writes for the team’s website, revolutionsoccer.net.

Even if Buttner is penciled in at left back, that may not be the worst thing for Jones. Despite earning his stripes on defense this past season, Jones still sees himself as the attacking winger he was at East Lansing and MSU, and wants to prove himself there.

“This offseason, I’ll work as hard as I can on defending, but my main focus is on my attacking, shooting, decision-making, passing, all those things,” Jones said. “I still think I’m an attacking player and that’s where I think I can help the team the most.”

Jones’ first professional goal was a memorable one, smashing home a rebound off a penalty kick to give New England a 4-2 lead despite playing a man down against Sporting KC on April 27. The game would end in a 4-4 draw.

"That was one of the craziest games I've been in," Jones said. "There was a scrum in the box and I was in the right position to knock it home. Scoring in an away game to silence the crowd and running to my teammates to make it 4-2 was an incredible moment for me and a moment I won't forget."

Jones' assist came in his first career start against Minnesota in March, earning the "hockey assist" on a nice through-ball to Teal Bunbury, whose shot attempt went poorly but went right to Brandon Bye (who played at Western Michigan) for the goal.

The 22-year-old also earned attention for a play against Montreal back on May 18, dribbling the ball up the left touchline, passing the ball forward into space and outracing the defender to the ball, followed by a hard pivot right back toward the goal, but Jones' shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

This was also Jones' "breakout game" where the club decided that Jones' future might be on the defensive side.

"That play was getting reposted by MLS social media pages, that might've got my name out there a little bit. I'm still a little bit mad about the finish, the goalie made a good save," Jones said. "Hopefully, there will be a lot more plays like that next year."

The play also showed off Jones' greatest asset: his speed. It's a huge part of what got him drafted 11th overall in the MLS SuperDraft, when he scored a goal during the MLS combine game and also tested first overall in two of the three agility drills.

The Lansing native had 16 goals and 14 assists in 75 appearances during his four years at Michigan State, including five goals and five assists in 2018 in helping the Spartans reach the College Cup for the first time in 50 years.

As a prep player at East Lansing, Jones led the Trojans to back-to-back state championships, scoring 28 goals as a junior in 2013 and 26 as a senior in 2014. He also won Michigan's Mr. Soccer and was the Gatorade Michigan Soccer Player of the Year in 2014.

"DeJuan was a pleasant surprise in 2019," Lemieux said. "To get a player like DeJuan at 11 overall and make the type of impact he made was a huge plus. He knew he could play at this level right off the bat and it didn't take long to show the coaches he could play at this level.

"It's a huge cliche, but the fact is you cannot teach speed. When you've got the speed as a starting point, it's a huge advantage. Everyone has come to a consensus that he'd win any flat-out foot race with anyone on the team right now."

Jones might have earned even more playing time if he hadn't suffered a calf injury that left him sidelined for four weeks in July and August.

"They told me I'd be out for 6-8 weeks but I was back in four weeks," Jones said. "Obviously, you never want to get injured, but that taught me the importance of trying to make sure my body is ready to go at all times."

Contact digital sports reporter Phil Friend at 517-377-1220 or pfriend@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Phil_Friend.