Patriots' Marcus Jones named First Team All-Pro punt returner

BOSTON -- When the Patriots drafted Marcus Jones out of Houston last year, the defensive back was tabbed as a dynamic, game-changing return man. In year one, he certainly lived up to the billing.

Jones was named an AP First Team All-Pro as a punt returner on Friday for his work during his rookie season in Foxboro.

The All-Pro First Team was voted on by 50 media members, with one player league-wide selected at each position. Voters selected a first team and a second team, with first-team votes being worth three points and second-team votes being worth one point.

Jones returned 29 punts this season for 362 yards, an average of 12.5 yards per return. He was also one of just three players to return a punt for a touchdown, though his 84-yard game-winning return against the Jets was the longest punt return in the NFL this season. Despite not returning any punts in the first three weeks of the season, Jones led the NFL in total punt return yards and punt return yard average.

Jones was the 85th overall pick in last year's draft, and he's the first Patriots punt returner to earn First Team honors since Gunner Olszewski in 2020.

Jones also worked on defense, taking 32.7 percent of the team's snaps, while also being used on offense, where he caught four passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.