Veteran Deion Jones returned to his home town on Friday when the New Orleans Saints signed him. Jones was the biggest name among three additions that the Saints made on Friday
. The others were former UFL linebacker Garrett Nelson and undrafted rookie defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr. Deion Jones returns to New Orleans, where he was born and raised, as a 10-year NFL veteran with the last two seasons spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.A three-star recruit at Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Jones landed with the LSU Tigers for his collegiate career. In four years at LSU, he had 5 sacks and 21 stops for loss among 165 total tackles. His senior campaign of 2015 was his best, as Jones recorded 2 interceptions, 5 sacks, a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss,
and a team-leading 100 total tackles.
Jones was a second-round choice, the 52nd overall selection, by none other than the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFL Draft. He saw immediate stardom with the Falcons, earning 2016 All-Rookie honors. That season, Jones had 3 interceptions, returning 2 for touchdowns, to go along with 11 passes broken up and 108 tackles. He'd lead the NFL with 165 interception return yards and led the Falcons in interceptions, total tackles, and solo stops.
Jones was just as formidable in 2017, earning the only Pro Bowl of his 10-year career. He had 3 interceptions that season, breaking up 10 throws with a sack and a team-best 138 tackles. Injuries limited Jones to only six games in 2018, though he still had 2 interceptions. He'd return in 2019 and has remained pretty durable since, though his production steadily declined.
Jones was with the Falcons for six seasons. Over that span he had 11 interceptions, 5 of which were returned for touchdowns. He also added 8.5 sacks, forced 5 fumbles, recorded 40 stops for loss, and had over 105 tackles in five separate campaigns. Upon leaving Atlanta Jones had one season with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, one with the Carolina Panthers in 2024, and the last two with the Buccaneers. Jones started just eight of his 43 games with those three teams in four years. He intercepted 2 passes and broke up 9 others, recording 3.5 sacks and 109 tackles with 10 for loss.
Deion Jones now completes his tour through the entire NFC South division by coming home to New Orleans. He's looking to rejuvenate his NFL career, but could also fill a glaring need for the Saints. New Orleans needs to bolster the athleticism in their linebacking corps, particularly in the open field and in pass coverage. This had been a strength of Jones earlier in his career and would strengthen the New Orleans defense if he has some quality football left.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Deion Jones could fill a need for the Saints in New Orleans homecoming
