Falcons linebacker Deion Jones has been a difference-maker since being drafted back in 2016. The former second-round pick started as a rookie on a team that went to the Super Bowl.
Since then, he’s established himself as a one of the league’s best coverage linebackers, and at 25, Jones is primed to be an integral part of Atlanta’s defense for years to come.
While Madden NFL 21 won’t acknowledge Jones as one of the NFL’s elite, the writers over at Touchdown Wire see it differently.
In Mark Schofield’s 11 best off-ball linebackers feature, Jones came in at No. 8 and was praised for his coverage ability:
You come across some amazing nuggets when researching for pieces like this one. A recent favorite of mine is that in 2019, Deion Jones saw 14 snaps in a free safety alignment.
That speaks to the myriad ways Jones can impact an opposing offense. After missing the bulk of 2018 due to injury, Jones was back on the field for the Atlanta Falcons as a true three-down linebacker this past season. Against the run he is a downhill presence, although 17 missed tackles are something to watch. He is also a very solid coverage linebacker, although he did give up four touchdowns and an NFL passer rating of 101.7 a year ago, which were both career-low numbers for him. But he does have the ability to function at a high level in underneath zones and read the quarterback.
Jones wasn’t quite his play-making self for much of 2019, but finished the season strong. He intercepted Jameis Winston’s last pass as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ran it back for the game-winning score in Week 17.
BALL GAME! pic.twitter.com/uY753y5aVp
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 29, 2019
We shall see how Jones fares against Winston’s replacement, Tom Brady, if the 2020 season goes on as anticipated.
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