The Denver Broncos have put together one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2024, defying odds and expectations to put the franchise on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season.
And with that knowledge, the vultures will surely come circling once the season is over, picking off valuable free agents they know the Broncos can’t afford to bring back as they spend one more cash-strapped year paying former quarterback Russell Wilson before they can truly open the floodgates.
One of those players will likely be defensive tackle D.J. Jones, who Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks could land with the Dallas Cowboys in free agency in 2025.
Jones is in the final season of a 3-year, $30 million contract he signed in March 2022.
“The Cowboys need to revamp a defensive front that has been laughably bad against the run this season,” Holder wrote. “Addressing the defensive line in free agency may require a budget approach … D.J. Jones, who will turn 30 in January, might be the sort of bargain the Cowboys can afford. He’s a stout run defender who can provide a bit of an interior pass rush and rarely misses time. He has missed only one game and has been credited with only two missed tackles since the start of the 2023 season.”
Jones Went From ‘Last Chance U’ to NFL
Jones was a sixth round pick (No. 198 overall) in the 2017 NFL draft after starring at East Mississippi Community College — made famous by the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U” — then starting 15 games at Ole Miss over 2 seasons.
“Jones has a freaky combination of power and athleticism that isn’t seen all that often,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Jones in his pre-draft profile. “While his playing style is reminiscent of Grady Jarrett’s, keep in mind that he’s a bigger player … If a coach can unlock more consistency, Jones has a chance to flourish as a one-gapping nose with three-down ability.”
With the San Francisco 49ers, Jones was a key rotational player on the defensive line his first 2 seasons before becoming a full-time starter in 2019 — the same year the 49ers won an NFC Championship. He had a career-best year in 2021 with 56 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits and started all 17 games.
Jones parlayed that season into his $30 million contract with the Broncos. He’s started all 11 games in 2024 and anchored the middle of a defense that’s seen the emergence of elite edge rushers in Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Zach Allen — that’s not possible without Jones occupying guards so they can’t chip off for double teams.
Cowboys Having Worst Season in Recent Memory
Jones is valuable enough to the Broncos that they didn’t entertain trade offers for him despite his name coming up repeatedly as a trade target for other teams.
The Cowboys are having their worst season in recent memory — Dallas is off to a 3-7 start after 3 consecutive 12-5 seasons. They’re also one of the worst defenses in the NFL, ranked 27th in the NFL in team defense and they’re 31st in the NFL in rushing defense at 151.0 yards per game.
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Broncos’ $30 Million DT Projected to Improve ‘Laughably Bad’ NFC East Defense