Dre' makes OSU's day: Bypasses draft, looks for more featured role for Buckeyes

Jon Spencer
Bucyrus Telegraph Forum
Ohio State defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones celebrates his tackle which resulted in a safety against UNLV this past season.

COLUMBUS – No one has to tell Ohio State defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones what he is risking by staying with the Buckeyes instead of high-tailing it to the NFL.

"The whole risk thing is overplayed," said Jones, a third-year sophomore and one of a handful of Buckeyes who met with reporters recently after deciding not to enter the NFL draft early. "I can get hurt walking outside and get hit by a car."

Or, as a reporter jokingly reminded him, get hurt in the locker room.

"Exactly," Jones said, smiling.

Projected by some analysts as a possible first-round pick had he come out, the St. Ignatius product missed two games midway through this past season after a freak injury — he called it "normal after-practice shenanigans" — where he scraped his knee on a locker, requiring stitches. He narrowly avoided suffering nerve damage.

"It was a crazy season for me because of my injury and the passing of my grandmother threw me off," Jones said. "I'm not going to say I accomplished everything because I wouldn't have come back if I felt I had accomplished everything."

Jones said the chance to be on the field for more snaps and improve his draft stock played factors in his decision to return to OSU. He and fellow sophomore Nick Bosa, an All-America end, believe the 2018 defensive line can be as good if not better than the one that is losing ends Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes to the NFL.

Hubbard had 2.5 of OSU's 8 sacks and 3.5 of the team's 13 TFLs in the 24-7 Cotton Bowl victory over USC and quarterback Sam Darnold, who could end up being the first pick of the draft.

Lewis finished his career with 23.5 sacks and Holmes was the most versatile of the three departees.

"I've played with these guys for two years and I've been the young guy for two years," Jones said. "I can take over where they left off. I learned a lot from them and that's going to help me guide these (young) guys."

Between them, Jones, Bosa, freshman 5-star end Chase Young, sophomore end Jonathon Cooper and sophomore tackle Robert Landers will bring back 14.2 sacks and 35 tackles for loss next season.

Defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones decided to return to Ohio State for the 2018 season even though some analysts projected him as an NFL first round pick.

Bosa, who led the Buckeyes with 8.5 sacks and 16 TFLs, is excited about the prospect of seeing Jones on the field more. Because of the depth up front in 2017, Jones saw most of his action on first and second down. He not only has the strength to play inside but the speed to play outside, which could lead to more playing time in nickel packages in the wake of all the departures up front.

"The whole country is going to see what he can do pass-rushing," Bosa said, "which should be fun."

Bosa, who isn't eligible for the draft until after the 2018 season, insisted before the Cotton Bowl that Jones would return to the Buckeyes. Did he know something no one else did?

"He knew nothing," Jones said. "That was just Nick talking, honestly."

Jones played only two years of high school ball, which made him easier to overlook. He toils in relative obscurity, compared to five-stars like Bosa and the highly-touted Young, who play more of a "glory" position than Jones. 

"In high school I was known as the kid from nowhere," he said. "I've kind of flown under the radar here and I've made my way to being a draft choice or top draft pick. Being under the radar is cool with me."

Jones showed rare candor when asked how much the NFL is on his mind.

"I think about it every day," he said. "I'm not talking about it right now, but it's still on my mind. It's hard not to (be). 

"At the end of the day, it's not all about me, so I had to think past myself. If I'm not out there (more), I'll deal with it and push the other guys to get better."