5 reasons to be excited about Dre’Mont Jones going to the Denver Broncos

After watching fellow defensive lineman Nick Bosa taken with the No. 2 overall pick, defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones got to hear his own name called as the Denver Broncos selected him with the No. 71 overall pick on Friday night. Spending three seasons at Ohio State, Jones racked up 114 total tackles, with 22 of those coming for a loss with 9.5 sacks (8.5 coming in his final season). The extremely athletic DT also has a pick-six on his resume, with four passes deflected and three fumble recoveries, including one for a TD.

So just what do Broncos fans have to look forward to with Jones on the squad?

1. Not your typical interior D-lineman

When most people think of a defensive tackle, you picture a guy who is in there to stop the run game and eat up blocks so that the defensive ends can make plays in the backfield. Jones does not fit that kind of mold at all, as he is far more athletic and plays a style much more fitting of an edge rusher. Jones has very strong and quick hands, allowing him to toss aside offensive linemen to create havoc in the backfield. Of all draft eligible Big Ten interior defensive lineman, Dre’Mont Jones was the best pass rusher.

2. That being said, Jones can still stop the run

While his athleticism and ability to rush the quarterback are two of Jones’ top assets, he is still more than capable of stopping the run game. Ohio State’s run defense was incredibly poor in 2018, but that was no fault of Jones'. In his final season with the Buckeyes, Jones put up a whopping 13 tackles for a loss — the second-most on the team. Jones is very adept at pushing through blockers to blow plays up before they have a chance to get into the second level, and good luck trying to pick him up with a running back:

3. He’s a biiiiig man

Despite his freakish athleticism, Dre’Mont Jones is still a prototypically large defensive tackle. He came into the draft list at 6-foot-3, 281 pounds. Jones’ large frame, as well as a 31.5-inch vertical — one of the best among defensive tackles in this year’s draft — gives him an even greater advantage to get in the quarterbacks face and disrupt the passing game. He also possesses good speed for a defensive tackle, posting a respectable 5.12 official 40-time, but seems to play much faster than that. He is also, apparently, a decent ball carrier:

4. He learned from one of the best coaches in the game

If you are an NFL team looking for a defensive lineman out of college, you will probably want someone who has been trained by the master: Larry Johnson. On his resume, Johnson has now coached eight first-round picks, including both Nick and Joey Bosa as well as five-time Pro Bowler Tamba Hali. Jones will bring his already impressive skillset to the NFL, which now includes four years of learning under one of the best coaches as his position. While already having the physical tools to be successful, there is no doubt that Johnson has been able to improve his footwork and hand usage, setting him up for a long, successful NFL career.

5. A nose for the football

No matter if the play is a run or a pass, Jones seems to always have a nose for the football. While he will see significantly less RPO’s in the NFL, Jones seemed to always make the right call when it came to determining where the ball was going. When the ball is loose, he is also usually the first one there, coming up with three fumble recoveries in his last season at Ohio State. With Von Miller and Bradley Chubb taking away some of the attention from opposing blockers, look out for Jones to make a ton of plays in the backfield for the Broncos this season.