Denver Broncos extension candidate: Defensive end Dre’Mont Jones
Denver Broncos defensive end Dre’Mont Jones could be given a contract extension soon. What would that extension look like for the fourth-year man?
One of the better players on the Denver Broncos, Dre’Mont Jones, is in line for a nice payday. Jones has developed into an above-average starter for the Denver Broncos, and entering his fourth year, is poised for yet another strong season.
Jones was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
He played in 14 games in his rookie season, finishing with 3.5 sacks, 14 total tackles, and six QB hits.
In his next two seasons, he had 12.0 sacks, 72 combined tackles, and 22 quarterback hits.
Jones has quietly turned into a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line, and his 6’3″, 281-pound frame, which might be smaller than normal, is still plenty enough to get home.
He’s also added 16 tackles for loss in the past two seasons, which is a huge statistic, showing that he’s able to penetrate opposing offensive linemen.
Dre’Mont Jones is an incredibly valuable asset and should be locked up for the long term.
He and new addition D.J. Jones should make a lethal tandem inside. It’s unknown who the other starter along the defensive line will be, though.
Jones, who just turned 25, should be given a healthy extension immediately, so Denver is able to enjoy his prime seasons.
So, what would a contract extension look like for the player?
Jones is a defensive end, so I pulled up the contracts for defensive ends on Spotrac.com.
In terms of total value, Myles Garrett leads the way at $125 million. Jones won’t hit that mark, obviously. I’m going to save the total value amount until we figure out the average annual value and length.
Looking at the contracts, four years is the most common one. Obviously, rookie deals are four years, but only four players have five-year pacts, and none have six or more.
If Jones signs an extension that kicks in during 2023, he’d be under contract for his age 26-29 seasons. This would fall in line with the recent contracts that both Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard signed.
So, four years will be the starting point.
What will be the AAV, though?
Well, this isn’t just going to be a random guess. Teams and agents, when they negotiate contracts, often use other players’ contracts as some sort of reference point.
Dre’Mont Jones won’t be signing a contract near what the likes of Danielle Hunter or Stephon Tuitt got.
He’ll fall somewhere near the tier with John Franklin-Myers, Trey Hendrickson, and Sam Hubbard.
My best guess is he’ll end up around $12 million AAV, which is more than Sam Hubbard, but not quite as much as Trey Hendrickson and John Franklin-Myers.
This would be the 16th highest AAV contract, tied with Yannick Ngakoue.
In terms of the total value, his contract would reach $48 million, which would be 11th in the NFL.
A four-year pact worth $48 million is where I’d say Dre’Mont Jones could end up. I could be way off with this, but I think it’s a solid range for the player.