OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Washington Commanders defensive end Andre Jones Jr., as part of his rookie initiation, had to get up in front of the room and sing a song from rapper Meek Mill. When it was his turn to perform, the pass rusher made it through the first two verses — only to forget the rest.
Teammates erupted in boos. Fellow pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat started to throw objects at Jones and told him he was terrible, Jones said.
“It was going fine the whole day, I was singing the whole song,” Jones said. “Then I got up there like Eminem (in ‘8 Mile’) and I just choked up!”
Singing may not be Jones’ specialty, but luckily for the 24-year-old, that’s not why Commanders drafted him. Rather, Washington took a seventh-round flyer on the Louisiana product because of his ability to get after the quarterback. And there, Jones has more than exceeded expectations.
Jones was seen in the draft as a raw prospect who needed a lot of development. But on Wednesday, after Washington’s joint practices against the Baltimore Ravens concluded, coach Ron Rivera beamed and uttered “wow” when asked about Jones.
With Young sidelined recently with a stinger, Jones has been part of the rotation of edge rushers who have filled in at the spot opposite Sweat. The reps with the first team mark the latest ascension for Jones, who has quickly worked his way up the depth chart and has built on a strong showing in last week’s preseason game against Cleveland.
“He’s a dynamic young man,” Rivera said. “He’s got some explosion off the edge. He’s got a lot to learn in terms of technique and the scheme itself, but his talent and his abilities did flash. He’s a guy we’ve got pay a little bit extra attention to this week.
“We thought this would be one of those learning things, but he seems to be assimilating very nicely,” he added.
When he’s battling opposing offensive linemen, there are two aspects of the rookie’s game that stand out: long arms and lightning speed. For the latter, Jones said he believes some people may have been unaware of how fast he actually is since he was unable to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine because of a hamstring injury. But that speed fuels his explosion off the edge, which helps him get into the backfield.
Jones takes particular pride in the length of his limbs. “You’ve got to really emphasize that,” he says, displaying his arms for reporters to see. With 34¼ -inch arms, Jones has the fourth-longest arms among Washington’s defensive linemen behind only Sweat (35 ¾), defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (34 ⅝) and defensive end Efe Obada (35 ½). Jones says he gets the length from his dad, who stands at 6-foot-3. (Jones is 6-foot-4).
“It’s a blessing and a curse because when you’re tall, you’ve got to stay lower,” Jones said. “And when I’m lower, I’m real powerful and I succeed more with a lower pad level, lower hands.”
With the Commanders, Jones has focused on making sure his technique is sound. He has appreciated the advice of coaches, who he said have worked with him closely to emphasize staying in his pass-rush lane. He also has regularly sought information from assistant defensive line coach Ryan Kerrigan — Washington’s all-time sack leader.
The fact that coaches have been so responsive, Jones said, is an encouraging sign that he’s on the right track. “If a coach don’t say nothing to you,” he said, “then you should be worried.” Kerrigan, in particular, will pull Jones to the side of individual drills to give feedback.
Jones, of course, has a long way to go to become an established defensive end in the NFL. As of now, he comes from a small school where he had only 17½ sacks across six seasons. And even on his own roster, left tackle Charles Leno didn’t appear to know who Jones was when asked if he had gone against the rookie in practice.
“Who?” Leno asked.
“(Number) 48,” a reporter replied.
“I don’t remember, I can’t tell you,” Leno said.
But others are starting to notice, including his head coach. Over the last two weeks, Jones said he felt he’s made significant strides in practice. He said he’s starting to reach the point in which he can rely on muscle memory rather than having to think about the plays as they develop.
“When I don’t think, and I just go?” Jones said. “I tell ya, I’m going to be a problem.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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