Inside linebacker: Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Based on the way Jones played during his rookie campaign last year, it’s hard to believe the Falcons stole him in the second round (No. 52 overall).
An undersized inside backer at 6-foot-1 and just 222 pounds, this young man can simply fly across the field. A sideline-to-sideline player with tremendous instincts that allow him to knife between blockers on running plays, he’s the new breed, perfect for today’s pass-happy NFL.
He totaled 106 tackles last year and intercepted three passes, turning two of those into scores for the Falcons.
9️⃣0️⃣ yards to the house! 🙌@AtlantaFalcons rookie linebacker @bigdreams_Bo was making big plays all season!#RiseUp #SB51 pic.twitter.com/0VAAo1S6Y1
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) February 1, 2017
Atlanta’s defense is built on speed. In this capacity as quarterback of the defense, Jones has already become a linchpin for Dan Quinn and Co. It’s crazy to think that he’s still just a pup (22 years old) and has so much room to grow.