According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the Denver Broncos are among the teams that hosted Travis Jones from the University of Connecticut.
Jones is a 6’4”, 325-pound defensive lineman who is expected to be selected in one of the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft. According to the consensus drafting boards, Jones’ average draft position is between 38.8 and 42, which is well ahead of the Broncos’ first selection at 64 overall.
Jones was a three-star offensive line recruit out of high school who originally committed to Rutgers, but changed his mind and committed to Connecticut after discussing it with his family. The Huskys sold him to switch to defensive tackle and he started 10 games his freshman year. UConn canceled its 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so Jones had a year off, but he ended his career as team captain with 32 career starts under his belt.
Jones’ combination of size, athletic ability and playing strength suggests he will be able to contribute early in his NFL career. If drafted, he could quickly carve out a place in the Broncos DL rotation as a versatile and dependable two-hole player with the brilliance and quickness to push the pocket on passes. He’s strong enough to be problematic for one-on-one crosses and has the anchor to hold up against most double teams. To reach his potential as a three-man force, he will need to improve his use of the hand and refine his passing rush repertoire.
Personally, I really like that the Broncos are interested in Jones. They finished last season in the bottom third of the league against Football Outsiders’ DVOA efficiency metric, will continue to use Fangio-style defense that regularly uses a number of softboxes to allocate additional resources for coverage . Given the issues ahead in 2021, I had lingering questions about the line after the Russell Wilson trade, as it cost the Shelby Harris roster and he was never replaced. Sign the 6′ 320 lbs. DJ Jones of the San Francisco 49ers was a start, but his length and style of play is best utilized as a pure inside lineman, as Jones has the length to save snaps as a technical five-in-base 3- from Denver. 4.
If the Broncos want to draft Jones, they may have to trade and the relative lack of depth in this class of defensive line means it could make a lot of sense. As I write this, he appears to be the only defensive lineman the Broncos will welcome with their 30 official visits. Mile High Report currently has 27:
The Broncos’ Top 30 Tours
OT Tyler Smith
OT Abraham Lucas
OT Matt Waltzko
OT Braxton Jones
iOL Dylan Parham
iOL Cole strange
iOL Cam Jürgens
OL Thayer Munford
CB Cordale Flott
CB Roger McCreary
DB Nick Grant
DB Martin Emerson
DB Ja’Quan McMillan
DB DaRon Bland
LB/S Tariq Charpentier
RB Isaih Pacheco
RB Shermari Jones
RB James Cook
RB Zamir White
FB/TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
QB/WR By Erik King
QB/WR Jared Benhardt
WR Tyquan Thornton
ED DeAngelo Malone
ED Nik Bonitto
drake jackson
DL Travis Jones
