The Baltimore Ravens’ trade for Tennessee Titans’ outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones on Monday could spark a turning point in their season. They were a team desperate for pass rush help ahead of the trade deadline, and landing Jones could help end their woes on that front.
While there is still plenty of work to do, as the duo of Kyle Van Noy and Mike Green needs to find some consistency heading into the second half of the season, Jones gives Baltimore some depth at the spot. More importantly, he offers some versatility, too.
Jones has played all across the defensive line throughout his playing career. He can wreak havoc on the interior, and more recently, he has become a problem along the edge. With the Ravens, it sounds like Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr will use him as a dynamic chess piece, but have more of a focus on utilizing him on the inside, while Van Noy and Green look to feast on the outside.
Ravens expected to use Dre’Mont Jones as an interior rusher
On Thursday, Orr outlined what the plan is for Jones as he enters his Baltimore tenure. While he has shown promise off the edge in recent weeks, his versatility makes him a perfect fit in the Ravens’ defensive front.
“For us, the good thing about versatility is we can hunt matchups,” Orr said. “The best matchup that suits [Jones], that’s going to help us out as a defense. He can line up on the edge or the interior, but I anticipate that he’ll line up more on the interior for us than he did in Tennessee.”
Jones should play a very similar role to that Tavius Robinson played in the defense earlier in the season. Robinson often played on the interior and was a significant contributor as a run defender. With Robinson out for an extended period with a broken foot, Jones should step up to the plate and bring in a more physical presence on the interior.
Jones is not really the elite threat that Baltimore has been lacking for years; he should provide more consistency when it comes to pressuring the quarterback. As a unit, the Ravens have just 11 sacks through nine weeks, which ranks tied for 31st in the NFL.
Jones’ 4.5 sacks would be first among the Ravens’ sack leaders, and while he will not be playing as much of the same role within Orr’s unit, he should help open things up for Van Noy and Green.
Baltimore finally has a threat to bring pressure on the interior, and Van Noy and Green should benefit from that.