Written By Adam Aniba
Washington's defense has given up 30 points in five games this season (29 pts vs SEA) and recorded 1 sack in last week's loss to Seattle. After starting DEs Chase Young and Montez Sweat were traded away, opportunities arose for others on the roster.
With starting DE James Smith-Williams ruled out, rookie defensive end Andre Jones Jr. (College Scouting Report) should see more reps on defense. Jones is long and offers a different look along the defensive line.
Jones was drafted #233 overall in the 7th round out of Louisiana. During his final season at Louisiana, Jones was asked to drop into coverage more frequently and responded with 2 passes defended and also recorded his 1st career interception. The 6'5" pass rusher finished his last two seasons with 30 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks.
Jones didn't record a sack vs Seattle, but had two timely batted passes by QB Geno Smith. His length allows him to not only knock down passes at the line of scrimmage, but also obstruct passing windows.
Washington faces a struggling Giants offensive line his week and Jones should see an increased workload. Undrafted DE Joshua Pryor was promoted from the practice squad and likely fills in for Jones on special teams, opening up more opportunities for Jones to be more active in the defensive end rotation,
The Harris ownership group will be making a lot of changes next season and will want their stamp on the next draft. The next 10 games will be an opportunity for young players such as Jones to shine and prove that he can be a valuable cog in the defensive end rotation for years to come.