What big Seahawks free agent addition Dre’Mont Jones brings to the table

Entering free agency, I did not think the Seattle Seahawks were going to be significant players in the market. According to OverTheCap.com on Monday afternoon the team had roughly $20,000,000 in cap space, not chump change but not a massive number either. However, that did not stop general manager John Schneider from getting one of the best players available in defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. The former Denver Bronco is the type of impact player that this defensive line needed in order to give Uchenna Nwosu some help.

Jones has been a disruptive force on the interior over the last couple of seasons and is still getting better, which is a scary thought for offensive linemen. Down below we are going to break down what the new $51,000,000 man brings to the table.

Hands/Overall power

Dre’Mont Jones has heavy and quick hands. If an opposing tackle or guard flashes theirs too early, he has the quickness in his hands to do a quick slap and beat them to that shoulder. If they don’t show the Ohio State alum anything he has the heaviness in his hands to strike them in their chest plate and set them back.

In the first video we see just how fast Jones’ hands are—he’s lined up with his hand in the dirt on the bottom of the screen. Jones knows the offensive lineman is not going to have help to their inside due to Denver blitzing five, resulting in single teams across the board. He rushes up field to isolate the tackle. Then once the right tackle flashes his hands Jones swipes their inside hand and then brings his outside arm over on a quick swim. The only way an offensive lineman can stop this is not flash their hands and had they not done that, Jones has the power to rush through them, which we see in the second tweet.

This is a grown man’s play by Jones, who is lined up over the right B gap in between the right guard and tackle. Jones is able to eliminate Trey Smith’s right arm by swiping down on it twice. He then gains leverage on Smith by getting his right hand into his chest plate and going right through him. Jones has the power and strength in his lower body to prevent Smith from anchoring down as he moves his roughly six yards backwards into the pocket.

Speed

Jones is not just a defensive lineman who is strong with quick hands. He is extremely quick out of his stance which allows him to make a major impact in the running game. On this play Las Vegas Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller, a first-round pick in 2018, is tasked with down blocking on Jones. The UCLA product does not even come close to getting across the face of Jones though, who is shot out of a cannon. He then displays fantastic strength and balance to fight through the arm block of Miller who is collapsing down on the outside of him. On top of that Jones is then able to get off of Miller and bring Josh Jacobs, one of the more powerful backs in the league to the ground with a one arm tackle. Both aspects of the play are very impressive in their own right, put together it makes for a fantastic, touchdown saving play.

Running game impact

The first play in this tweet is impressive but not what we are going to highlight in this section. The third, fourth, and fifth snaps are what we are going to be reviewing. On the third play, Jones is lined up over the right B gap. He strikes the right guard in the chest plate, gets his arms extended and controls the block. He closes off of the intended running lane, forces the back inside and then meets him in the hole. In the fourth play, Jones (lined up over the right guard) once again gets his powerful hands onto the lineman and sets the tempo of the battle. He keeps his eyes in the backfield and then disengages to bring Isiah Pacheco down. On the final snap in the video, Jones (over the right B gap) almost gets sealed off but hits Trey Smith with a quick swim move and helps corral Pacheco for a run of close to zero yards.

Full highlights

Additional notes

The addition of Jones is going to be felt across the defense. He prevents offensive linemen from keyholing on Uchenna Nwosu, which in turn makes the second-year Seahawk better. In addition, he will help keep the linebackers clean and will make quarterbacks get rid of the ball quicker, making the secondary better. He is a versatile defensive lineman who can reduce down to a 2- or 3-technique and play as wide as a 7-tec on either side. If needed he can play both standing up in a 2-point stance, or with his hand in the dirt in a 3-point stance. Dre’Mont Jones is a fantastic addition for this team, and I think he will end the year with a career-best 8-10 sacks whilst making a massive impact in the running game.

I will end on this final note for Seahawks fans. Picture a defensive front that features Uchenna Nwosu, Dre’mont Jones and one of Jalen Carter or Will Anderson Jr. A scenario that feels increasingly likely for the 2023 season.