DT Dre’Mont Jones, Ohio St.*

6’3” – 281 lbs. – 5.12
Redshirted in 2015 after playing just two years of football in high school, then started twelve games the following season, posting 52-4.0-0.0. Production dropped off somewhat in 2017 (20-5.0-1.0), then enjoyed a very impressive junior campaign of 43-13.0-8.5 before deciding to forego his final year of eligibility. Under-tackle who has taken snaps on both sides of the defensive line in Greg Schiano’s swarming, one-gap even fronts. Has solid height, with long arms; listed weight is adequate for a pro three-technique, but has a bit of a thin build and frame. Skillset is what you’d expect from a player with his physical profile. Is a very good athlete with explosive movement skills and impressive suddenness to shoot gaps and penetrate into the backfield; gives opposing blockers a hard time trying to line him up. Active with his hands; best move is his overhead swim move, but is able to mix up his approach. Fast in a straight line, with the speed and motor to pursue horizontal rushing attempts out toward the sidelines and create pressure in backside pursuit. Flashes the ability to scrape down the line and make tackles while engaged. However, when blockers are able to get him in a phone booth, can often be sealed or turned out of the hole; has some trouble getting free when opponents get into his pads. Can also be lured away by misdirection; more energy than discipline at this point. The aforementioned athletic traits made him a productive pass-rusher this past year despite drawing extra attention from opposing blocking schemes; can create opportunities for his teammates by drawing double teams or win one-on-one. Often one of the first players off the line of scrimmage, with a plus first step. Good closing burst to finish when he finds a lane; fast enough to chase down quarterbacks trying to flee the pocket. Well-conditioned athlete who played a lot of snaps and gives good effort on a snap-to-snap basis. Lacks the size, power, and positional/schematic versatility of some of the other top defensive linemen in this year’s class, but has desirable athleticism for a three-technique and proved this past season that he could make a mess in opposing backfields. That spike in production looks likely to earn him a first-round selection from a team that likes undersized, attacking linemen and hopes his career will continue its sharp upward trajectory.