NFL Draft 2019 Denver Broncos Day 2 Picks

Not a lot of risk in Buckeye defenders.

We can boil the pre-draft analysis of Dre’mont Jones to an easy synopsis.

Giant talent, a little undersized.

Beyond his bench reps and his 40-speed, what’s likeable about Jones is his drive and his strength.  Yes, he’s undersized for an NFL interior defensive lineman but recalling Elvis Dumervil, that’s not always the end of the story on the line. Jones uses superior upper-body strength and technique to get to opponent’s edge and he’s a good lateral mover.  He can be bullied off his technique and can be slow to reset but like Lock, those are skills that can be coached and Denver has invested in a coaching staff that should coax the best out of its players.

The Broncos informed Domata Peko in February that they would not seek to re-sign him.  That opened the field for a wide array of Broncos linemen to step up.  Denver did retain Shelby Harris who looks to slide into the starting role with Jones immediately slotted as the backup. That’s pretty ideal for a middle second round pick with the upside of Jones.

Also worth noting that Ohio State University generally recruits and passes-on big time talent.  We see it often in the NBA, players from Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas are in the most general terms pro-ready. That’s the perception of OSU, players from that program have played at the highest level the NCAA offers so their talent isn’t as mysterious or “potential” as players from less accomplished schools.

That may seem like a weak argument for Jones but it’s important to note that from the choice of Vic Fangio to the final pick in the 2019 draft, the Broncos seem to be going for a smarter, more ready stance and that’s a good thing.

It certainly has to be an improvement over the last two seasons.