Atlanta Falcons: Deion Jones will run Paul Worrilow out of town

When the Atlanta Falcons used their second-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft on linebacker Deion Jones out of LSU, many figured he would compete for playing time as a weak side backer.

But, as it turns out, he wasn’t drafted to compete with Sean Weatherspoon. He was drafted to challenge Paul Worrilow for the Falcons’ starting middle linebacker spot and that made a lot of people think twice about that.

This information was first reported by AtlantaFalcons.com writer Kelsey who tweeted this yesterday.

Now sure, this isn’t necessarily a reliable source, no offense to Kelsey, but it’s really all we have to go on right now and we’re going to run with it. If this stands to be true, Worrilow needs to be looking in his rearview mirror because what is headed his way is a 3-down backer that is most likely going to take his job away from him.

If we’re going off of measurables, Jones doesn’t have ideal weight to play inside linebacker in a 4-3 defense. He weighed in at 222 pounds at the NFL combine and if he want’s to be successful in that role, he needs to add 10 pounds. That’s easier said than done but I’m confident that he can bulk up over summer and be ready to rock and roll for training camp in August.

Other than weight, nothing is stopping Jones from being a terrific linebacker right out of the gate. Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff drafted a linebacker with a ton of speed and that’s ultimately what’s going to cost Worrilow his job.

Jones ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the combine which was fourth-best. The third-best time went to the Falcons’ fourth-round pick, De’Vondre Campbell, but that’s a story for another day…. probably tomorrow.

The quickest 40-yard dash time posted by an inside linebacker at the combine was Ohio State’s Joshua Perry at a 4.68 so this already puts Jones as the quickest rookie inside linebacker in the NFL. He ran a 4.38 at his pro day, but disregard that number. There is no way on Earth that man ran a 4.38 but who cares. He’s pretty darn fast either way.

Let’s compare Jones’s 40-yard dash time to some studs in the NFC South. First, let’s start with The Carolina heart-throb Luke Kuechly. Kuechly ran a 4.58 compared to Jones’ 4.59 so the speed is definitely there. Tampa Bay’s Lavonte David ran a 4.65 40-yard dash and had a worse broad jump as well.

On paper Jones is slated to be a terrific NFL player. While his weight might be a slight concern at the moment if he is going to play inside linebacker rather than outside, the talent is there. He is a three-down linebacker and is very trustworthy. This is a player fan’s can expect to see go at 150 percent until the whistle blows and will cover a ton of ground.

Next: Grading the Atlanta Falcons' 2016 draft class

I’m sure we will still see Worrilow out on the field from time to time but expect Jones to be the main guy in 2016. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch, folks.