Jones was named first-team Division-I All-Ohio and U.S. Army All-American as a senior, and graduated from Saint Ignatius High School in 2015. He was a four star recruit, ranked #7 in the state of Ohio and #170 in the nation. On June 18, 2014 he committed to Ohio State University to continue his football career.
College career
For his first year of eligibility in 2015, Jones redshirted as a true freshman. During his redshirt freshman season in 2016, Jones joined Dan Wilkinson and Luke Fickell as the only freshmen defensive linemen to start 10 or more games in a season. By the end of the season, Jones racked up 52 total tackles, including 4 tackles for a loss. He earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America. Jones slightly regressed during his sophomore season in 2017, but still, put up strong numbers. He finished the season with 20 total tackles, including 5 tackles for a loss and one sack. He was selected to the third-team All-Big Ten. After his sophomore season, there was speculation that Jones would declare for the 2018 NFL Draft, with draft analyst Mel Kiper listing him as the 8th best draft-eligible defensive tackle. Despite this speculation, Jones decided to return to school for his junior season. Projected first round pick Nick Bosa went down with an injury against TCU on September 15, leading Jones to take on a larger role on the defensive line. Jones started all 14 games as a redshirt junior for Ohio State, and was selected to the first-team All-Big Ten Conference after breaking out with 8.5 sacks and 43 tackles. Jones became the first defensive lineman in OSU history to score two defensive touchdowns in a single season in 2018. After the season, Jones decided to forego his senior year and enter the 2019 NFL Draft.
College statistics
Professional career
Jones was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings, Jones recorded his first career sack on Kirk Cousins in the 27–23 loss. In week 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones recorded an interception off Philip Rivers and returned it for 7 yards in the 23–20 win. This was Jones' first interception in the NFL. In week 16 against the Detroit Lions, Jones sacked fellow rookie David Blough 2.5 times during the 27–17 win. As a result of his performance, Jones won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week, the third Broncos player ever to win the award as a rookie.
