Dre'Mont Jones Unfazed Pressuring Russell Wilson: 'I'm Good at Football, That's Why'
Many of Russell Wilson's defensive counterparts default to effusive praise when asked about the Denver Broncos quarterback's mobility, on display during Organized Team Activities.
Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, for example, couldn't stop gushing.
“It’s hard because when you think you have an angle on him, and he might spin out or he might step forward," Chubb offered to reporters Monday. "He has such great pocket awareness for being a guy that moves around a lot. A lot of his money balls come when he is outside the pocket throwing it deep. It’s been challenging for not only me, but the DBs. They have to play coverage twice on guys and have to stick with them and stay on them. You never know what he’s going to do back there. It’s been a good challenge for us.”
Even Wilson's coaches are enamored by the star signal-caller and his trademark ability to escape pressure, making chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what.
"He’s got so much tape in his past that sometimes plays don’t work out the way we want them to as a coach and he makes you look good by running around," Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said on May 31. "Even though I think that there’s a potential for a sack in that moment, you never know with him. We want to try to extend it and we want to push those DBs back there to have to continually cover because there’s a lot of guys in our little division here that can run around do some good things. It benefits everybody, but we want to extend that play and understand how to still find a play.”
Many revert to mealy-mouthing ... but not everyone. Certainly not defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, who's found success pressuring Wilson amid Denver's simulated offseason practices. And he stopped short of calling it a challenge.
Why?
"I'm good at football. That's what I think. That's why," Jones bluntly said Tuesday.
Period. Full stop. Factually correct.
A former third-round pick, Jones has flashed Pro Bowl potential over his first three NFL seasons, totaling 28 quarterback hits, 19 tackles-for-loss, and 15.5 sacks. In year four, entrenched as The Man along the Shelby Harris-less Broncos defensive line, the Ohio State product is primed to put it all together.
“I hate that ‘strong finish’ stuff. I played football well in the beginning (of the season)," Jones said of the 2021 campaign. "It’s all about getting the numbers or not, which is very important. I think I’m consistent with being disruptive. If you watch film, I’m going to be disruptive every time because I pride myself on that and I’m going to continue to do that. Those guys in my room are going to continue to inspire me to do that because of how good they are.”
Iron sharpens iron, and chasing Wilson around the yard now will only benefit Jones later. That the 281-pound interior defender seemingly finds ease in doing so is an ominous harbinger for the competition.
"I have a job to do and I’m going to prepare to the best of my ability," Jones affirmed.
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