Making Most of Opportunity With Seahawks, Vi Jones Impressing in First NFL Training Camp
RENTON, Wash. - Following a stellar senior season at North Carolina State, Seahawks undrafted rookie linebacker Vi Jones looked the part of a viable NFL prospect.
Despite racking up 45 tackles, 6.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, and a blocked punt in his final collegiate season against top Power 5 competition, however, Jones wasn't selected as an All-ACC performer. He didn't earn an invite to any of the all-star showcases, including the East/West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl. He also didn't receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, putting him at a significant disadvantage trying to generate interest from prospective teams.
But after only starting four games in his first three college seasons while playing for two different programs, Jones honestly wasn't surprised by the omissions. Rather than dwell on his circumstances, the late-blooming defender used the disrespect as motivational bulletin board material throughout the pre-draft process.
"I played a lot of football in college, but I didn't have a lot of starts, you know what I mean?" Jones said prior to Seattle's training camp practice on Tuesday. "I knew some of the things that were being told to me from my coaches and the people who were scouting me and whatnot, so it wasn't too big surprise. It just made me work harder, [added] fuel to the fire."
A former four-star recruit who originally enrolled at USC, Jones grew up in a football family and the sport is intertwined in his DNA. His father Robert played 10 years in the league, winning three Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 90s while amassing 766 tackles and three interceptions during his illustrious career. His middle brother Zay currently plays for the Jaguars, while his oldest brother Cayleb spent a brief cup of tea with the Vikings in 2016 and 2017.
Born into a family that lives and breathes football, Jones leaned on his father and his brothers for advice and tips in the months leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. Unlike most incoming rookies trying to carve out their place in the league, he had a strong idea of what to expect as he began preparing for his own journey to the NFL.
"The experience that they had and have been through just helped me learn from it, and just to know what I was going to be thrown at me, know how to be ready. So it was a lot of help, I'm very thankful, very blessed to have that," Jones stated.
Understanding he needed to add muscle and improve his speed to stand out to NFL teams, Jones got after it addressing both deficiencies by emphasizing strength training and conditioning work this spring. He bulked up to nearly 230 pounds, a far cry from his weight in the 190s when he first began playing for the Trojans, and posted impressive pro day numbers such as a 4.52 40-yard dash, 36-inch vertical jump, and 6.93 3-cone drill.
Among the teams who took notice of the lean, lengthy Jones, according to the defender himself, the Seahawks stood out amongst the rest as an interested suitor early in the pre-draft calendar. Citing linebacker coach John Glenn specifically, he indicated that he had numerous conversations with the organization, which made it easy for him to sign the dotted line once he went undrafted in April.
After reporting for rookie minicamp a few weeks later, it didn't take Jones long to make his presence felt while seeing practice reps at middle linebacker as well as outside linebacker, drawing the compliments of coach Pete Carroll.
“He's got a good general background of what he's played, and you can see, he's got a lot of athleticism. He's really fast, really fits the bill," Carroll said. "One of the guys that wasn't the draft picks that I totally picked up on, was excited to see him, and you can picture, he could be a special teamer."
During the early stages of his first training camp, Jones found himself stuck behind veterans Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Tanner Muse, Nick Bellore, and Lakiem Williams seeing limited snaps with the third-team defense. After the first half dozen practices, it seemed hard to envision a path for him to make Seattle's final roster.
But as camp has progressed, Jones has become more comfortable with his surroundings and started to contribute flashy plays with greater regularity. Earning himself a handful of reps with the second-team defense alongside Iyiegbuniwe, he entered last Saturday's preseason opener in Pittsburgh carrying a bit of positive momentum.
Seizing his first opportunity in game action, Jones made numerous splash plays after checking into the lineup in the second half. Most notably, he caught Carroll's attention on a well-executed delayed blitz, leveling a running back and knocking him onto his backside at the line of scrimmage before turning on the jets and chasing down quarterback Kenny Pickett for a sack that nearly resulted in a safety.
“He made a couple of beautiful plays," Carroll said praising Jones. "The sack that he had, I can’t remember, but I don’t think the TV copy showed how he came off and drilled the running back that was blocking him and then made the play to finish the sack. That was a terrific play. He has flashed like that during practice throughout, mostly on the perimeter. We’ve moved him around a little bit, and we are going to make sure that we see him in different spots to make sure that we have him in the right position. He has made a good impression on the special teams coaches too, with his ability and all of that. He’s had a good start to camp, a really good start.”
Forced to punt deep in their own territory late in the third quarter, the Steelers handed the Seahawks excellent starting field position after Jones' sack and moments later, Drew Lock connected with DeeJay Dallas for a touchdown and then tied the game at 25 apiece on a two-point conversion throw to Travis Homer.
Excelling in his first game as a Seahawk while many of his linebacker peers struggled to finish plays in the Steel City, Jones registered six tackles and a sack, inching himself closer to the right side of the roster bubble. Playing within himself, the athletic rookie followed the advice of his family and older teammates, not letting the moment overwhelm him and having a blast in the process.
"They were just telling me to have fun," Jones smiled. "So that's what I was trying to do - do my best, just go out there, play football, like I've always been doing. I was just going out there having a good time. Following my rules, listening to my coaches, and what not."
With two preseason games left to play, including Thursday's home opener against the Bears, Jones will have ample opportunities to further stake his claim to a roster spot before Seattle's season opener on September 12. After lining up at outside linebacker in Tuesday's practice, he should be in line for extensive snaps at multiple positions on defense along with special teams, where he once blocked three kicks in a season at North Carolina State.
Of course, college production doesn't matter when it comes to the NFL and Jones will have to continue proving he can make plays defending the run as well as rushing the passer, dropping into coverage, and shining on special teams to sneak onto the roster. As the player alluded to numerous times, consistency and steady improvement will be critical to achieving that goal over the next few weeks.
But with Ben Burr-Kirven out for the season and Jon Rhattigan likely to open the year on the PUP list recovering from ACL surgery, the door has been left wide open for Jones to make a splash. If he can turn in another strong performance on Thursday and keep putting pressure on the veterans competing against him, he has the talent and versatility to emerge as the next undrafted gem unearthed by the Seahawks' scouting department and stick around with an organization he loves playing for.
"Everyone in the facility and in the building, just the the love and energy and enthusiasm they bring to whatever we're doing, it makes it easy to come to work, it makes it easy to have fun, and love your job. I love it here. It's awesome. I enjoy every day. It's new things, new experiences."
