D.J. Jones once chased Russell Wilson; now he unites with him on Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — D.J. Jones spent seven games trying to chase down Russell Wilson while the two were in the NFC West. Jones recorded seven total pressures, but got to Wilson just once — a 7-yard loss on a third-and-2 play in the first quarter of a 2019 game his San Francisco 49ers ultimately lost to Seattle, 27-24.

So, when Jones saw Wilson circle back, elude pass rushers and escape the pocket by rolling right for an eventual touchdown pass on May 23 during Phase 3 of organized team activities he recognized it.

“He’s exactly who I thought he was,” Jones said a day later. “He did something in practice the other day, and everybody was like, ‘That ain’t real.’

“Yes, it is. That’s what he does. He makes time; he gives the offense time. He’s going to make a beautiful throw, and it’ll probably be a touchdown.”

Meanwhile, Jones’ teammates were just finding out what he knew.

“He’s elusive. I think like two guys might have had an angle on him, but he cut back twice and just made a beautiful throw,” Jones said. “They were in disbelief. But I had to tell them, ‘That’s who he is. That’s what he does.'”

So, with that advance knowledge, does Jones have any secrets for his new teammates?

“He’s my teammate now, so if I was to tell you that, I would be telling everybody else that,” Jones said, smiling.

“But you have to rush smart. You literally have to work together. He’s gonna find the lane. That’s what he does, regardless of if you’re working together. But your rush lanes have to be precise.

“You have to do your job with him.”

It’s a tale as old as time with mobile quarterbacks: maintain your rush lane and don’t get caught out of position.

But this will have a valuable application for the season to come. Twelve of the Broncos’ 17 games in 2022 are expected to be played against quarterbacks who can defeat you with their legs as well as the throwing arm. And depending on how you view Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr, all six AFC West games will present mobile quarterbacks.

See it from Wilson every day in practice, and you’re more likely to be ready when it counts.

“He’s definitely preparing us for that, having a mobile quarterback,” Jones said. “It’s not like he’s just standing in the pocket. He’s doing what he does. He’s out there scrambling around and making plays, so that will definitely prepare us.”

And as for Jones himself, he hopes the experience improves him as a pass rusher.

Jones’ bona fides as a run defender are clear. According to Pro Football Focus, last year Jones had the highest run-stop rate in the NFL — 13.1 percent — among 105 interior defensive linemen with at least 150 snaps against the run.

But he’s never had more than 3 sacks in a season, with a career total of 7 in 61 games played. That’s where he wants to grow.

“Pass rush. I want to exceed 5 sacks, and I think it’s the perfect scheme to do it.,” he said. “It’s the perfect group of guys to work with and better myself at that.”

So, with that desire in mind, it begs the question — why is Ejiro Evero’s scheme “perfect” for this? As with the query about rushing Wilson, Jones didn’t want to tip his hand too much.

“You get a lot of one-on-ones. I ain’t trying to tell too much, but you get a lot of one-on-ones. I’m able to make a lot more plays, and not having to worry about being in a vise.”

And if he makes those plays on game days, facing Wilson every day will be a reason why.

NOTES: The Broncos begin their second week of OTA Phase 3 Tuesday. That day’s practice will be open to local media. Look for a recap and notes here at DenverFan.com after the session.

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