Dre’Mont Jones | The Interior Disruptor

It’s no secret why the Ohio State Buckeyes have had one of the best defenses in the country one of the biggest reasons is the amount of talent and depth along the defensive line. And while everybody knows about Nick Bosa, Sam Hubbard or Tyquan Lewis but one player that doesn’t get enough attention is defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. Here we’ll give Jones some attention explaining what he does well and looks what his future looks like whenever he enters the NFL Draft.

Who is Dre’Mont Jones

Coming out of Cleveland Jones was a highly recruited 4 Star defensive end stayed instate to play for the Buckeyes after only two years of high school football. Recruited as a strongside defensive end Jones redshirted his freshman year while he bulked up and moved inside to tackle. Now up to 286lbs Jones can be a disruptive force but his statistics haven’t shown that with only one sack in two years and nine tackles for loss. Entering his third year as a starter Jones is the veteran of the group after losing several starters to the draft he’ll be looked as the leader of the group.

 

What Dre’Mont Jones Does Well

Since moving to tackle Jones bulked up to 286lbs but still moves like a defensive end. Jones best strength is his burst off the line of scrimmage and lateral agility. His burst allows him to beat offensive lineman off the snap and get into the backfield to disrupt. Jones also moves well laterally which can help him get around offensive lineman but also move down the line to make plays outside of his gap. While Jones isn’t overly powerful he can get some push on bull rushes or in the run game.

 

Concerns about Dre’Mont Jones

Balance can be an issue for Jones as he can get knocked down way too many times. Against Iowa he was knocked down over a half a dozen times by the offensive lineman. The inability to hold the point of attack and anchor in is not good as he can be moved off his spot and allow for running backs to go right past him. Jones also needs to improve his hand usage against both the run and the pass. Relying on his athletic ability too much Jones struggles to either get off blocks and is a reason he has one sack in two games.

 

Outlook

2018 is a huge year for Dre’Mont Jones. Not only is he entering his third year as the starter, but with so many of his teammates gone to the NFL their experience depth took a huge hit. But this also means that he should see the field a bit more as the Buckeyes don’t have the depth at end to do their four defensive end fronts. This could help Jones see more pass rushing snaps and help improve his sack numbers, but if he wants to cash in on the first round buzz, then he needs to show he’s more than just a good athlete playing defensive tackle. He’s got the physical talent to be a impact interior pass rusher, but if he doesn’t become more skilled, he’s could go from a first round talent to a third round talent.

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