DaQuan Jones
DaQuan Jones is a 6 ft 4, 322 pound DT/DE out of Penn State. Coming into the 2014 draft, some analysts had DaQuan Jones as the number 1 defensive tackle. In 2014 Jones had his dream of being an NFL player come true. The Titans drafted him in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Picked 112th overall by the Titans, DaQuan was ready to prove himself.
Professional Career
In Jones’ rookie year, he played in 7 total games recording 8 tackles including 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. In the final game of his rookie year, DaQuan got his first career start. He made the coaches look like geniuses as he recorded 4 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the same game. The future was bright for Jones, and the Titans were excited to see it come to fruition.
Coming into his sophomore NFL season, Jones impressed. From playing in only 7 games the year prior, Jones played in and started all 16 games in 2015. Jones recorded 45 tackles in 2015 but ended the year with a disappointing zero sacks. Still, his consistency and durability proved the Titans made the right pick. His third year in the NFL provided a tackles drop off. In 2016 Jones recorded only 26 tackles but again played in and started all 16 games for the Titans. Two years in a row he has proved to be a consistent presence on their defensive line. There’s nothing better than knowing your guy is going to be ready for every game of the season.
2017 was a significant year for Jones, his first contract year. Jones needed to prove that he was more than just a consistent presence on the line. Jones played in and started the first 12 games of the year accumulating 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Unfortunately for both Jones and the Titans, he suffered a torn bicep and was placed on injured reserve. Although his season ended early, Jones was on a path for a career year in all categories. In March 2018, Jones was rewarded for his hard work with a 3 year 21 million dollar contract with the Titans.
What’s Next?
With the Titans seemingly placing priority on helping their defense, it’s evident that Jones was in their plan for the future. Signing a 3-year extension shows faith that Jones will come back from this injury even better than before. With more defensive weapons to worry about, we could see a rise in Jones’ sack numbers for the third consecutive year. I look forward to seeing how the Titans plan to use him on the line, as he will here at least through 2019.
