Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: DT Dre'Mont Jones - Game-Changing Disruptor?

A rare big ticket signing by the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, Dre'Mont Jones will be counted on to bring a dynamic playmaking presence to the interior of a defensive line that struggled mightily for most of the 2022 season.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 24, 2023 12:30 PM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Dre'Mont Jones, Defensive Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-3, 281 pounds

2022 Stats: 47 tackles, 6.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss

A late bloomer at Ohio State after waiting his turn on a loaded defensive line in Columbus, Jones took off as a redshirt junior in 2018, taking advantage of his opportunity at an expanded role by racking up a career-high 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Opting to declare for the NFL draft early, the Broncos snagged him with the 71st overall pick in the third round in 2019 and though he only started one game as a rookie, he flashed with limited snaps by producing 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits in a rotational reserve role for coach Vic Fangio.

Over the past three seasons in Denver, Jones produced at least 5.5 sacks each year, joining DeForest Buckner, Chris Jones, and Quinnen Williams as one of only four defensive tackles to accomplish that feat in that span. Steadily improving from a consistency standpoint, his total quarterback pressures went up from 30 in 2020 to 40 in 2021 and again jumped to 45 last season, enhancing his value with free agency looming. Seeking to make a splash to add a dynamic game-altering talent to their defensive line, the Seahawks swooped in quickly and signed him to a three-year contract worth north of $50 million.

Best-Case Scenario: Playing in a familiar defensive scheme with quality edge talent to complement him, Jones rewards his new team for their faith in him and then some by approaching double-digit sacks for the first time and helping the Seahawks make a huge leap into the top-10 in rushing defense, receiving a handful of All-Pro votes and earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

Worst-Case Scenario: Lacking the girth to hold up consistently at the point of attack as a 3-tech defensive tackle, Jones gets exploited in the run game when asked to two-gap and while he racks up 42 quarterback pressures, his sack numbers take a disappointing step back in his first season with the Seahawks, creating questions about the amount of money the team invested in him.

What to Expect in 2023: Consistency-wise, Jones has been as good of an interior pass rusher as any player outside of Jones in the NFL over the past three seasons and his run defense has been better than advertised. But on a contract averaging $17 million per season, the Seahawks are paying him top-15 money projecting that his best football remains in front of him, counting on him to elevate his game to another level both as a pass rusher and run defender to justify the rare free agency spending spree executed by the organization.

Only 26 years old, Jones is in the midst of the prime of his career and with Seattle running a similar defense to the Fangio-style scheme that he thrived in for Denver, the transition should be a seamless one. However, expectations have been heightened by his new contract and he will be under immense pressure to perform for a defense that badly needs a game wrecker in the trenches to compete for an NFC West title. If he can live up to the hype and make an instant impact as a disruptive force in the interior, he has the upside to be a transformative addition turning around the 25th ranked scoring defense from a year ago and emerge as a star in the Pacific Northwest.

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