Grading Broncos' third-round selection of edge rusher Sai'vion Jones

Travis Wakeman

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Grading Broncos' third-round selection of edge rusher Sai'vion Jones image

The Denver Broncos were heading into day three of the 2025 NFL Draft, evaluating their options when they decided to make a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to get back into the third round and take LSU edge rusher Sai'vion Jones.

This pick was taken with an eye on the future as much as anything. Jones is a pass-rusher but he will line up on the defensive line, rather than a standup outside linebacker. The Broncos need more depth at that spot as Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach will all be free agents after this season. 

The team would like to get a new deal done with Allen, but bringing back Franklin-Myers could be tricky as Nik Bonitto will also be looking for a new, lucrative deal. 

Here are the positives and negatives on the scouting report conducted by the Scouting Department at Bleacher Report. 

Positives

— Good block recognition as a run defender to put himself in a good position to take on blocks.

— When he keeps his hands tight against the run, he has the upper body strength and arm length to get extension against offensive linemen.

— Can close the gap with tight ends and offensive tackles who lean at the point of attack.

— Decent at getting off blocks against offensive linemen.

— Has solid power as a pass-rusher to collapse the pocket versus tackles, and has shown a solid rip move to win around the edge and help recover when he misses with his hands.

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Negatives

— Sub-par athlete overall, making it difficult for him to play on the edge in the NFL.

— Often late to react to the snap and lacks acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

— Could afford to be more physical at the point of attack.

— Inconsistent with his hand placement as a run defender, often landing too wide and exposing his chest.

— Accuracy with his hands when rushing the passer is poor, often missing and allowing offensive linemen to make the first significant contact.

— Struggles to break down in the backfield and lacks lateral movement skills, making it difficult to bring down shifty running backs and quarterbacks.

Jones is a developmental project for the team, but one who has something the front office obviously believes in as they traded up to make sure they were able to get him. The Broncos realize it will be tough to keep the defensive line intact beyond this season and the team is working to make sure that the defense is strong beyond this season.

Look for the Broncos to slowly work Jones into the rotation as a rookie but the team will build his confidence and plan to turn him into a potential starter in 2026 and beyond. 

Grade: B

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.