Broncos Wire‘s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at five-year veteran defensive tackle D.J. Jones, No. 97.
He’ll presumably play nose tackle for the Denver Broncos in the team’s 3-4 defense.
Before the Broncos: Jones (6-0, 305 pounds), like fellow nose tackle Mike Purcell, played for the San Francisco 49ers before deciding to done an orange and blue Broncos jersey. Jones, 27, played five seasons for the 49ers before signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Broncos this offseason. In a contract year in 2021, Jones parlayed the season into a career year. He totaled 56 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three QB hits, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup, starting all 17 games.
Chances to make the 53-man roster: Jones is obviously a lock to make the Broncos’ Week 1 roster. He is one of general manager George Paton’s big free-agent acquisitions this offseason. His competition for a starting job includes Purcell, while McTelvin Agim provides depth for both. It remains to be seen how playing under a new defensive coordinator in Ejiro Evero this season impacts the nose tackle position, but Jones seems poised to be a key player for Denver this season.