Some of us were pretty excited at the prospect of former first-round pick Datone Jones making an impact this season. It would be his first full season at outside linebacker, a position he looked great at in limited action in 2015.
That’s not happening.
Jones looked decent early on — as did the whole Green Bay Packers’ defense — but he’s just not producing, which has been his M.O. since being drafted in 2013. Jones has just nine tackles and doesn’t have a single sack this season.
Last year, he made the excuse for his lack of production by saying he wasn’t getting the snaps. He was right. This year, he is getting the snaps. Jones has played 312 snaps and should surpass last year’s total in the next game or two.
Pro Football Focus grades Jones at 60.6 this season, down from the high of 73.7 they gave him last year.
So what’s his excuse now?
He doesn’t have one.
If we can say anything for Jones, it’s that he does put pressure on the quarterback from time to time when he’s in the game. However, what we all seem to remember more than anything is Jones hitting opposing QBs late or borderline-late.
You could say the Packers got lucky that another former first-round pick, Nick Perry, finally came on this year after showing little to nothing during the first four years of his career. Lightning did not strike twice.
Datone Jones is nothing more than a role player at best. And he’s a bust at worst.