Atlanta Falcons rising star linebacker, Deion Jones, may have gone overlooked last year but he’s already drawing attention heading into the 2021 season.
A recent video of him working out ahead of training camp was posted on Twitter, courtesy of Jones’s trainer Albert Brock of ABX Elite Sports.
Watch Jones show off his footwork, speed and hands below:
Some of Debo’s teammates were quick to compliment his work such as running back Qadree Ollison:
Let’s go Bo !!!!
— Qadree Ollison (@QOllison) July 26, 2021
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley:
Yes sirrrr ‼️‼️‼️
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) July 26, 2021
Along with a big fan of his:
@debo looking smoove boy. I need some of that!
— TEVIN FLOYD (@TevinF43) July 25, 2021
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Jones Cracks Top 11 NFL Linebackers
2020 was a disappointing year for the Falcons, who ended with a 4-12 overall record, which led to Jones going under the radar.
However, whil a majority of the team struggled, Jones still found a way to post career-high numbers, ending the season with 106 tackles, five sacks, six quarterback hits and eight QB hurries.
And with those marks, he didn’t go overlooked on Touchdown Wire’s list of the NFL’s top 11 linebackers, which ranked him as the No. 7 linebacker in the league.
Last year was not the best season for the Atlanta Falcons, and that includes linebacker Deion Jones. But even as the team was struggling Jones found ways to impact the game and continue his growth as a linebacker. He set career-high marks with five sacks, six quarterback hits and eight QB hurries, as the Falcons tried to find ways to consistently pressure the opposing passer.
Jones also has great man and zone coverage skills for a linebacker, as we saw back in 2019. While he was picked on a bit more in coverage last season — he allowed an NFL passer rating of 103.8 when targeted, the worst number of his career — he still notched a pair of interceptions and three pass breakups. If his coverage numbers return to form, he’ll appear even higher on lists like this next summer.”
In five seasons, Jones has tallied 100 tackles in four of his first five NFL seasons, along with 11 career interceptions.
Falcons Linebacker Group Should Be Reliable
There are a lot of question marks lingering over the Falcons 2021 defense, but one group that defensive coordinator Dean Pees should be able to count on is his linebackers group.
And it all starts with Jones who is one of the most versatile and fastest at the position.
Along with Jones is another rising star in Foye Oluokun. Oluokon actually stole the spotlight away from Jones last season where he had better performances, including three forced fumbles against running back Ezekiel Elliot and the Dallas Cowboys. You also can’t forget how well he played against the Kansas City Chiefs when he single-handily kept them from scoring early on.
And then there is second-year linebacker Mykal Walker, who ended his rookie year having 45 tackles, one pass breakup and a forced fumble in only six starts. He was also named to Pro Football Focus‘ All-Rookie Team, despite being selected No. 119 overall.
So, while the defense, as a whole, raises a lot of concern heading into Week 1, we’ll at least have one less worry when discussing the team’s top three linebackers.
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Falcons Deion Jones Looks ‘Smoove’ in Workout Video [WATCH]