Broncos Film Room: Why Dre’Mont Jones just made Denver’s defensive front scary

Topping off an impressive day two, the Denver Broncos snatched up Ohio State star Dre’Mont Jones in the third round.

An interior pass rusher that showed flashes in 2017 and turned into a disruptive force in his final collegiate season. Here’s what the Broncos got with their new addition to the defensive line.

Strengths

• Jones has a lightning quick first step, becoming a special interior rusher with 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss in his final season at Ohio State.

• He has nice length and high-end upside with incredible natural tools.
• Profiles to be a big weapon as a third-down rusher immediately, where he could play as a 3-technique in nickel formations and hunt one-on-one blocks.
• Is a slippery pass rusher who uses his first-step quickness and length to get in the backfield in the blink of an eye.

• Jones is a classic one-gap defensive lineman who can get after the QB and disrupt the run by getting in the backfield as the ball is snapped.

• Lives in the backfield when he’s locked in and can be disruptive against the run with a good motor.

• Is always around the ball and can be strong in pursuit.

• Jones has started to develop a nice arsenal of pass-rushing moves with a swim and spin move that are tough to beat.
• The game comes easy to him, was a high-impact player despite several deficiencies. His upside is tremendous.
• Can work back to the ball and be a factor against the run getting off blocks and chasing runs down from the back side.
• Plays well on stunts and could be devastating paired with Bradley Chubb in two-man games to get to the quarterback.
• Has the ability to knock passes down with his length and athleticism.

Weaknesses

• Jones isn’t a two-gapping defensive lineman right now and struggles to anchor against the run.
• Will get pushed off the ball and lacks power to his game.
• Didn’t test well athletically at the combine, which hurt his stock as he’s more of a projectable talent than a ready-made stud.
• Plays a bit upright and needs to be more consistent winning the leverage battle.
• His effort can be inconsistent especially against the run where he gets knocked off the ball far too often.
• Can be great in pursuit but his motor runs hot and cold, needs to be more active chasing the ball with his skills.
• Needs to do a better job using his length and play with violent hands. Once he adds a power element to his game he can be special but he’s a bit limited right now.
• Won’t work to get off his block if he doesn’t win off his initial move, needs to develop counters and show more consistent effort.

In conclusion

Jones is going to have to work on using his hands and become more powerful against the run to become a full-time starter as a 3-4 defensive end. However, his ability to penetrate the pocket and be disruptive should allow him to see the field immediately as a 3-technique defensive tackle in sub packages.

Ever since Malik Jackson’s departure and a failed courtship of Calais Campbell, the Broncos have been searching for exactly this type of lineman.

Jones joins a rotation of Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris, Zach Kerr and maybe DeMarcus Walker. He’ll have to toughen up under Bill Kollar and Vic Fangio to reach his lofty potential but he brings a different element with his first-step quickness, which will be a valuable asset in that rotation.

His first-step quickness and size give him two of the most coveted traits a lineman can have but he also has to become a consistent player. Jones is a worthwhile gamble on upside and was our 42nd ranked prospect making him a really good value.