Four picks before Mr. Irrelevant was announced as the final player taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins chose Arkansas State defensive back Don Jones as their ninth and final player in the seventh round with the 250th overall pick.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” Jones said. “While I was down there on the visit, I loved the coaching staff down there and all of the facilities and stuff around there. I think that will be a great place for me to start my career with the great coaching staff that they have.”

At 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds, Jones has taken a unique route to this point in his career, starting out as a running back for the Red Wolves in his redshirt freshman year back in 2009 and rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. He also caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Jones transferred to junior college in 2010 due to academic reasons and then returned to Arkansas State the following season and converted to the defensive side of the ball. He compiled 129 tackles (76 solo), one sack and two interceptions in his final two seasons.

During his Pro Day last month, Jones performed in front of Dolphins coaches and ran a 4.42 and a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, had a 42-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet, 7 inches. His athletic skills are hard to ignore.

“I think I showed them how explosive I can be in my broad jumps and then my bench press reps,” said Jones, who played with current Dolphins safety Kelcie McCray in college. “I think I showed them I can be a guy who can go out there and get the job done.”