Dallas Cowboys: Defensive Tackle may be solved by this fringe player
By Reid Hanson
Don’t sleep on Datone Jones because he’s a fringe player who may be the solution to the Dallas Cowboys’ problems at defensive tackle.
The Dallas Cowboys will be without the services of their starting under tackle, David Irving, the first four games of the season (suspended). And alongside him at the 1-technique, they’ll be working Maliek Collins back into game shape (recent offseason surgery).
With both starters on ice, it will be up to a few lesser-known role players to pick up the slack early in the season. Lucky for them, they have a few intriguing options: None more so than journeyman defensive lineman, Datone Jones
Who is Datone Jones?
Datone Jones isn’t a name thrown around a lot in Cowboys Nation. With so many exciting unproven options populating the roster, it’s not hard to see why this five-year vet isn’t getting much press. But the former first round pick of the Green Bay Packers may have just fallen into an ideal situation here in Dallas. And if he can stay inside on the interior of the line, he may finally live up to his enormous potential.
It’s not that Datone Jones has been a bust. It’s that the timing has never been quite right. Drafted 26th overall, Jones joined the Packers as a traditional defensive end. He collected a respectable 3.5 sacks as a rookie. And while dropping in the sack department, he showed improvement in overall play in his second season (Pro Football Focus gave him a +22 improvement).
In year three he was inexplicably moved to outside linebacker. Forced to lose weight, he made the switch, joining a rotation of OLBs, and specifically serving as a run-stopper in Green Bay’s 3-4 defense. Even though he came out on many passing downs, Jones was effective as pass-rusher, leading the team in quarterback pressures (better than teammates Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers).
Not a natural fit at OLB, Datone moved on, bouncing from Minnesota, to Detroit, to San Francisco, and eventually landing in Dallas. But Dallas would bring on another challenge – working inside at defensive tackle.
The Dallas Cowboys, who place a premium on explosive interior players who can one-gap, saw promise in the 6’5” 288lbs linemen. As a 3-technieque, Jones could use his explosion to his favor and become a disruptive force in opposing backfields.
With a clocked 1.63 10-yard split, a 4.8 40-time, 112” broad jump, a 7.32 3-cone, and a 4.32 20 yard shuttle, Jones is athletically well into the 90th percentile of NFL interior defenders. He lacks the ideal girth, but he’s shown the ability to put on weight before without sacrificing quickness (2014) so it stands to reason he can do it again.
Now with a full offseason in the Dallas Cowboys program, Datone Jones may have fallen into the ideal scenario. Early in camp he should be given every opportunity to prove himself inside at defensive tackle. If he can show that impressive athleticism his numbers indicate, he could be a fixture in the rotation before and after David Irving returns from suspension in Week five.
Next: 3 Internal replacements for David Irving
Not many people are talking about Datone Jones, but this former first rounder has the potential to do big things inside for the Dallas Cowboys this season