Giants Terminate Contract of Former Third-Round Pick

The New York Giants have terminated the practice-squad contract of defensive back Elijah Jones, the team announced Tuesday, ending a brief stay for the Harlem native who once carried third-round draft pedigree.

Jones, 26, was signed to the Giants’ practice squad on Sept. 1 after the Arizona Cardinals waived him on Aug. 30.

Three weeks later, New York cut him to make room for other additions, including defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell and offensive tackle Ryan Schernecke. The official transaction listed Jones as “terminated (by club) from practice squad.”

The move closes a short New York chapter for a player who grew up in Harlem and starred at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx before a six-year college career at Boston College.

Arizona selected him in the third round, 90th overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals signed him to a four-year rookie deal worth about $5.69 million that included a $954,920 signing bonus.

Jones never found a foothold in Arizona. An ankle injury in the 2024 preseason landed him on injured reserve for his entire rookie year.

He appeared in limited action in 2025 and finished his Cardinals tenure with just three career tackles. The team waived him at the end of August 2026 as it trimmed its roster.

At Boston College, Jones was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2023 after leading the conference with five interceptions in only nine games.

Over 64 games, he recorded 158 tackles, seven interceptions and 37 passes defensed. Scouts praised his length (listed 6-foot-1, 185 pounds), 4.44-second 40-yard dash and 42.5-inch vertical jump. Those traits made him an attractive developmental piece, but injuries and a crowded NFL secondary limited his opportunities.

The Giants had used Jones as depth behind a secondary that has already seen movement this season, including placing cornerback Paulson Adebo on injured reserve. Practice-squad spots are fluid; Jones lasted just over three weeks before New York turned the page.

For Jones, the next step is likely another practice-squad or street-free-agent look.

At 26 with remaining athletic tools and local ties to New York, he remains a candidate to land elsewhere if a team needs cornerback or special-teams help. The Giants, meanwhile, continue to shuffle their depth as they navigate the early part of the 2026 season.

The release is a reminder of how quickly draft capital can fade when injuries intervene and roster competition is fierce.

Jones arrived in the NFL as a third-round investment; two-plus years later he is again looking for a roster spot.