Denver Broncos rookie defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his standout performance against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the league announced Friday.
Jones has been battling an ankle injury and was a game-time decision for last week’s game. He played through the injury and totaled five tackles and 2.5 sacks in a 27-17 win.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Jones winning the award. “I was happy for him. Again, he was the guy that had the workout before the game.
“We didn’t really know if he was going to play or not. If you were a betting man during the week you would have bet that he wouldn’t have. He really wanted to play and it was nice to see him get rewarded.”
Jones (6-3, 281 pounds) was selected by Denver in the third round of April’s draft out of Ohio State. He has recorded 14 tackles, 3.5 sacks and one interception this year. Jones has also broken up two passes.
Jones is just the third Broncos rookie in franchise history to win a Defensive Player of the Week Award and the first since Von Miller in 2011.
“It [means] a lot to me, especially because of the history behind it and being the third rookie to do it,” the defensive lineman said Friday.
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