The Baltimore Ravens didn’t just revamp their defense ahead of the NFL trade deadline, they may have just saved their season.
The latest evidence came in a 23-10 win over the New York Jets in Week 12 that saw a stifling defensive effort from the Ravens and a breakout game from newly acquired edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who finished with 1.5 sacks.
The Ravens have now won 5 consecutive games and come all the way back from a 1-5 start and being in last place in the AFC North Division to take over first place after the win over the Jets improved their record to 6-5 overall.
It was Jones, 6-foot-3 and 281 poounds, who had tongues wagging with his first sack in a Ravens uniform after they acquired him in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on November 3 – just one day ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Jones now has 6.0 sacks through 11 games.
“Dre’Mont Jones has quickly become a favourite of mine,” Ravens.com’s Cole Jackson wrote on his official X account following the win over the Jets. “Checks all the boxes for me. He’s a dog.”
Ravens Get Jones Playing at His Peak
Jones came to Baltimore already playing some of the best football of his career.
“Sources: The #Ravens are trading for #Titans edge Dre’Mont Jones, sending a conditional 5th rounder that could possibly become a fourth-rounder,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Monday, November 3. “More defensive help in Baltimore from a player whose had 4.5 sacks in the last four games.”
“Dre’Mont Jones has been an incredible pickup for the Ravens,” Locked on Ravens podcast host Kevin Oestreicher wrote on his official X account on November 23.
“Dre‘Mont Jones with his second big play for the Ravens on 3rd down to get the defense off the field,” Sports Illustrated’s Joshua Reed wrote on X. “The first was a batted pass at the line of scrimmage. This trade continues to payoff major dividends.”
Dynamic Final College Season Boosted Draft Stock
Jones was a 3-year starter at Ohio State, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2016 followed by consecutive All-Big Ten nods in 2017 and 2018.
In his final college season, Jones was at his best with 8.5 sacks and became the first defensive lineman in Ohio State history to score 2 defensive touchdowns in the same season.
Jones left the Buckeyes with one year of eligibility remaining to enter the 2019 NFL draft and was selected in the third round (No. 71 overall) by the Denver Broncos.
In his first 4 seasons with the Broncos, Jones had 22.0 sacks but didn’t even become a full time starter until his fourth season, when he had 6.5 sacks in 13 starts. Jones cashed in big in free agency, signing a 3-year, $51.53 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks before the 2023 season.
Jones had 8.5 sacks in 2 seasons with the Seahawks before he was released to clear $11.5 million of salary cap space after the 2024 season and signed a 1-year, $8.5 million free agent contract with the Titans in March.
The Ravens will only be on the hook for $1.265 million of Jones’ 2025 salary.
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