Sai’vion Jones is a potential breakout star for the Broncos
DENVER , CO - JANUARY 4: Sai'vion Jones (95) of the Denver Broncos celebrates recovering a fumble after Nik Bonitto (15) strip sacked Trey Lance (5) of the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter of the Broncos' 19-3 win at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, January 4, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) | Denver Post via Getty ImagesAs Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft was nearing its end, the Denver Broncos still had one player on their board that they really wanted to get. So, they called up the Philadelphia Eagles and traded up to the 101st overall selection to select LSU defensive lineman Sai'vion Jones.
During their post-day 2 presser, head coach Sean Payton talked about the moment where they realized they wanted to move up to get Jones, who was their lone player left on the board at that point.
The interesting thing was... You're always hoping in each draft you have that lone magnet [on the draft board]. He was kind of that lone magnet where we sat and we're like, Wow.' I think that both George and I felt like 14 picks earlier, that was going to be a hard one to get. We just felt like that player was going to come off the board. Fortunately for us, he was there still."
Sai'vion Jones is a 6-5, 289-pound defensive lineman who the Broncos viewed as a high-upside developmental prospect. He has the size, the length (33.5-inch arms), the strength, and the athleticism that you look for in a defensive lineman, and the Broncos saw a player they couldn't pass up in that moment.
General manager George Paton told reporters that Jones fit the mold of a defensive line player they look for. He added that Jones had room to grow as a player, and due to their defensive line talent and depth, they had time to develop him as a player before inserting him into the lineup.
He kind of fits our mold of defensive line. The size-six-[feet] six-[inches], 280 [pounds]. We feel like he can continue to grow in that role. He'll play [defensive] end for us, but he has flexibility down the line of scrimmage. This guy is long. He's strong [and] plays with really good leverage. Then he's improving as a rusher. You could see that throughout the season, then you got to the Senior Bowl. We thought he had a really good week and played really well in the game. So he's just going to keep getting better. [Defensive Line Coach] Jamar Cain has coached him, so again we had insight on him like we did some of the others. I think what sticks out with him is just how hard he plays. The motor-he goes 110 miles per hour every play, so he fits in with our group. He'll have time to develop as well as he has good guys in front of him."
The plan was to let him develop behind their depth, and that's exactly what they did last season. Jones appeared in just 3 games for the Broncos, did not register any tackles, had 1 fumble recovery, and only played 33 snaps on defense. It was basically a red-shirt year for Jones, who now will look to take a big step in year two for the Broncos.
Player ProfileSai'vion Jones | Defensive Line | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6-5
- Weight: 289 pounds
- Age: 22 years old
- Experience: 2nd season
- Arm Length: 33.5 inches
- Hand Size: 10 inches
- Vertical Jump: 33 inches
- Broad Jump: 9-11
- Bench Press: 19 reps
- 2025 stats: Appeared in 3 games, played 33 defensive snaps, 1 fumble recovery
He's a true wildcard.
His rookie year was basically a redshirt season for him, and we barely saw him on the field. He's a high-upside player that has all the tools, length, size, and traits you look for, but we don't really know where he is with his development. With John Franklin-Myers signing with the Titans during free agency, there's an obvious role for him; however, the Broncos also drafted defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim with their first selection of the draft. The team has already said they view Onyedim as an eventual JFM replacement, so we could see these two third-round selections battling it out this summer for that job.
During the Broncos end-of-year presser, General Manager George Paton did comment on Sai'vion Jones. He told reporters that they really like where he is going, saw his development in practice, and added that He's going to be a player".
Sai'vionJones, again we really like where he is going. We see the development in practice. I think he only played 33 snaps, but he had four or five pressures and he had a fumble recovery. We knew he would be a little bit of a development, but this guy is big, he's strong and athletic. He's going to be a player.
As for his outlook, it's really tough to predict. He is one of the players I am most excited to hear about during training camp and is on my list of potential breakout players. Hopefully, he does have a breakout camp and preseason and gives the Broncos a talented and young interior pass rusher. Same goes for Onyedim. We should be rooting for both to look good because if so, it will make this already dangerous Denver Broncos pass rush somehow even better.
Zach Allen leads this group and is an All-Pro caliber player. After that, we have Malcolm Roach, who should see a larger role this season, nose tackle D.J. Jones, and the massive Eyioma Uwazurike. Then comes Jones and Onyedim, who figure to be competing for that interior pass rusher role, followed by Jordan Jackson and the rest of the Denver Broncos defensive line players.
Both Jones and Onyedim have a real opportunity to impress this summer, and I am anxious to hear about their development moving forward. How both players look will be an underrated storyline to watch this summer, and hopefully, both young interior pass rushers look impressive.
Final ThoughtsI pretty much summed it up already. Jones is a true wildcard/x-factor, and his development will be something to watch moving forward. John Franklin-Myers was a key part of the Broncos' league-leading pass rush, so replacing him will obviously be pretty important. The Broncos have been planning for this moment and have now drafted Sai'vion Jones and Tyler Onyedim in the third round in back-to-back drafts. With no other outside additions to the defensive line, these two will be competing for pass rush snaps this summer.
I'll be rooting for both since having a deep and talented rotation at the defensive line is what championship-winning defenses have. Look at what the Eagles did vs. the Chiefs a few seasons ago.
My gut tells me that Sai'vion Jones is going to be a good player. He may need more time to develop, but he checks all the boxes. Size, length, strength, athleticism, and talent, and on top of all that, the Broncos have been getting the most out of their defensive line players recently. They turned Zach Allen into an All-Pro player. JFM had career years while with the Broncos; Malcolm Roach has developed into a starter, and Uwazurike went from being suspended for a year and a non-factor to a valuable rotational piece. I am excited to see Jones's jump in year two and what they can do with Onyedim as well.
I am anxious and excited to learn more about his development moving forward.