Jonathan Gannon doesn’t need a standings sheet to feel the weight of August. His Cardinals are 1–1 this preseason, a nail-biter win over the Chiefs, a flat-out dud against Denver, with the Raiders underway. It’s the part of the calendar where results don’t count in the record books but absolutely echo in the locker room. Every mistake looks heavier, every flash play harder to ignore. Roster pressure, plain and simple.

Enter Elijah Jones. The 25-year-old cornerback out of Harlem, a third-round pick in 2024, wasn’t exactly pegged as a headline grabber going into this weekend. But against Las Vegas, he became one. Tested deep twice on one drive, Jones broke up both throws and nearly picked the second. That’s not just surviving a preseason rep; that’s announcing yourself as a problem for offensive coordinators and, more importantly, a solution for your own coaching staff.

And that’s where things get tricky. Arizona’s defensive back room is already logjammed, veterans clawing for relevance, draft picks with investment attached, young guys still polishing their edges. Jones’ sudden rise puts all of that into flux. Gannon now has to balance spring scouting reports, front-office expectations, and the reality of what’s happening on the field in August.

Preseason records don’t matter, or so coaches love to say. What matters is who makes plays when tested, and right now, Jones is doing exactly that. If he keeps stacking performances like this, the Cardinals’ cornerback depth chart could look a lot different by the time the real season kicks off. Because in late August, momentum matters almost as much as pedigree.

And Jones? He’s got plenty of one and suddenly, more of the other.

Jonathan Gannon sees talent in Elijah Jones

Jonathan Gannon doesn’t hand out compliments lightly. But when he talks about Elijah Jones, there’s a certain tone, measured, but optimistic. He sees something there.

That’s not to say Jones has an easy path. Far from it. The Cardinals’ cornerback room is already stacking itself. Max Melton and Garrett Williams. That’s the top tier. After them? It’s a knife fight for roster spots, and Jones, a third-round pick a year ago, is right in the middle of it with Kei’Trel Clark, Denzel Burke, and Jaylon Jones.

A year ago, Jones didn’t even get the chance to show what he could be. One awkward play in the 2024 preseason finale at Denver, an ankle injury, and his rookie season was over before it started. Surgery in the offseason, a long rehab, a headset and clipboard on Sundays. He called it “a redshirt year.” That might be generous.

Now he’s healthy again, back in pads, but still trying to find his football legs. He’s been running mostly with the third string through camp. Gannon doesn’t hide what the biggest hurdle has been.

“For him, it’s lifestyle habits,” Jonathan Gannon said. “It’s hard for him to keep on weight. We’ve had to change his diet and make sure he’s consistent with it. That’s tough for a lot of guys.” Jones has leaned into it, working with the team’s nutrition staff, trying to build up his frame so he doesn’t get knocked around on Sundays. Moreover, he talks about film study, about watching how receivers attack their stems, about slowly sharpening the edges of his game. And the defensive staff has noticed. Nick Rallis, the defensive coordinator, sees growth. He sees fewer mistakes, more trust in the system, flashes of the player the Cardinals thought they were drafting.

So what does Gannon want now? For Jones to stop thinking so much and just play. That chance comes Saturday night, ironically, back in Denver, the same field where everything went sideways a year ago. Because if Jonathan Gannon keeps seeing talent in Elijah Jones, eventually the rest of us might start to as well.