Cleveland Browns should target defensive tackle D.J. Jones

A look at why the Cleveland Browns should target 49ers defensive tackle D.J. Jones to fix the issue they had in 2021 against the run up the middle.

The Cleveland Browns offseason plan kicked off with a boom on Saturday after they agreed to trade for Cowboy’s wide receiver Amari Cooper. Legal tampering is about to kick off in the NFL and general manager Andrew Berry is already planning his next moves.

One of the biggest areas that need improvement this offseason is the defensive tackle room that currently doesn’t have any starting-caliber players on the roster. The Browns’ defensive tackles got embarrassed at times against the run, even against teams that struggled to run it up the middle.

Someone that should be on Andrew Berry’s radar to help fix this problem is the 49ers’ defensive tackle, D.J. Jones. Jones is a run-stuffing specialist standing 6-foot-0 and 321 pounds that is not easily moved by opposing offensive lines. The areas in which Jones is the best is the exact areas that the Browns struggled with this past season.

Jones is successful at eating blocks and making sure that he clogs the running lanes, even if he doesn’t make the play. He plays assignment sound football to make sure he is in the right place at the right time often resulting in his teammates making the play because of him. Last year he had five missed tackles, most of the time if he gets his hands on the ball carrier he will make the play.

When you watch the film on Jones you see an unselfish player, he doesn’t seem to care if he is the one that makes the play just that it gets made. He doesn’t seem to worry about stats when it comes to the way that he plays, he plays hard until the whistle is blown, not often giving up on any plays.

D.J. Jones is the exact type of player the Browns need to improve a position group that struggled in 2021 and should be firmly on Andrew Berry’s radar.