The Denver Broncos could see DJ Jones depart in free agency. Could they look to sign one of these potential replacements? DJ Jones is in the third year of a three-year deal he signed with the Denver Broncos. Jones is a good run stuffer but does not offer a ton in the pass rush department, and because the Broncos consistently never stay in their 3-4 base defense, Jones may only play about 40% of the snaps per game.
However, he is the team's starting defensive tackle in the base 3-4 defense alongside Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers. But with Jones set to hit the open market, he may not be a slam-dunk to re-sign, and Denver could pursue one of these three players to take his spot in 2025 and beyond.
3 potential replacements for Broncos' free agent defensive tackle DJ Jones
BJ Hill
BJ Hill is a free agent in 2024 and is someone who has a better pass-rush presence from the interior. During his Cincinnati Bengals' career, which spans 64 regular season games, Hill has racked up 16 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 53 QB hits.
Hill could be a nice replacement for DJ Jones and is also a bit bigger at 6'3" and 311 pounds. This could be a logical fit for the Denver Broncos.
Milton Williams
Milton Williams is a part of the crowded defensive line of the Philadelphia Eagles. In 17 games this year, Williams has racked up 24 tackles, five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits. He's also been playing in Vic Fangio's defense this past season, and there was that report at the beginning of the Sean Payton era that Payton wanted to bring in Fangio to be the DC of the Denver Broncos.
They may view Williams excelling in this defense as a 'plus' in him potentially signing with the Denver Broncos. The Eagles also do not have a ton of cap space, so Williams may not get a strong offer to remain in Philly.
Jarran Reed
Jarran Reed has played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks in his NFL career, which began back in 2016. He's been on his second stint with the Seahawks in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
He played in 17 games this year and racked up 4.5 sacks, 45 total tackles five tackles for loss, and 15 QB hits. Reed has always excelled at getting to the QB and has played all along the defensive line.
His flexibility along the defensive front and wealth of experience could be a perfect solution for Denver, who could sign Reed for a year or two and then dip into the 2025 NFL Draft for another name at defensive tackle.