Falcons middle linebacker Deion Jones has bulked up to 230 pounds.
During the pre-draft process he was down to 222 pounds to help him run a faster 40-yard dash time. Now, he needs to bulk to battle through the trenches of the NFL.
“It’s been comfortable,” Jones said. “It hasn’t been bad at all.”
Jones, a second-round pick from LSU, said the added pounds haven’t slowed him.
Jones, who’s worked with the first-team defense during minicamp, has been praised by veteran defensive players for picking up the defense so fast.
“It has been kind of naturally happening,” Jones said. “I have been trying to gain their trust and respect out on the field. It’s really just me locking into what I have to do. Making live calls and hoping those guys trust my decisions.”
There have been major adjustments.
“The big thing is the speed of the (offensive) line,” Jones said. “Those guy get to that second level pretty fast, so I really have to work on my technique. Another big adjustment is the quarterbacks and how they turn their bodies, that can get you frustrated.”
Jones is handling the pressure of leading the veterans well.
“To step in that huddle and have to take command and make calls and lead the way as a young player is not the easiest thing to do,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “I’m just trying to create that pressure scenario every chance we get. For him, leading all the guys who’ve played eight, nine, and 10 years, make the calls and make the adjustments, it’s good. He’s handling that pressure well.”
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