San Francisco 49ers draft former Ole Miss defensive lineman D.J. Jones in sixth round

Published 3:38 pm Saturday, April 29, 2017

D.J. Jones is the second former Ole Miss player off the board.

The San Francisco 49ers selected Jones with the 14th pick in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Jones joins Robert Nkemdiche (first round in 2016) and Jerrell Powe (sixth round in 2011) as the only defensive linemen to be drafted from Ole Miss in the last seven years.

Once the New York Giants took tight end Evan Engram in the first round Thursday, four rounds went by without another Ole Miss player being taken until the 49ers snagged Jones with the 198th overall pick.

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Jones is a stocky, quick-twitched nose tackle who finished with 70 tackles as primarily a run-stopper in his two seasons with the Rebels after transferring from East Mississippi Community College, but the 6-foot, 321-pounder also flashed his athleticism with 8.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Jones’ four sacks in 2015 were second-most on the team.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said he expected Jones to be used as a rotational player with the 49ers with most of his snaps coming on early run downs.

“He’s just a sawed-off run defender is what he is,” McShay added. “Shorter arms and only six sacks. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a great pass rusher in the NFL, but he does have some disruption. I like him because he’s stout, plays with leverage and does a good job versus the run.”

Jones said after his pro day workout earlier this month that his versatility was a major talking point with teams leading up to the draft with his ability to play different techniques. Jones had 30 tackles as a senior, his only season as a full-time starter.