Commanders Rookie LB Andre Jones Has 'Lot of Upside,' Says GM

Andre Jones may have been taken by the Washington Commanders in the seventh round, but general manager Martin Mayhew thinks he could have a larger impact on the field.

Jeremy Brener | May 7, 2023

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The seventh round of the NFL Draft is usually reserved for players unlikely to make much of an impact on the football field. However, the Washington Commanders believe they may have found someone extremely impactful in Louisiana linebacker Andre Jones.

Jones, 24, played six seasons with the Ragin' Cajuns and improved every season. During the 2022 campaign, Jones recorded 7.5 sacks and 51 tackles in total. Jones may be one of the older rookies in the class, but that didn't deter Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew from taking him with the No. 233 pick.

“Yeah, well for me, the age comes into play obviously, but for a lot of these guys, it is really how much football they've played," Mayhew said. This guy has a lot of upside, a lot of developmental potential despite his age. So we're looking forward to working with him. I mean, he's got a lot of athleticism. He's got a great first step, he's got a lot of traits that you want. And he has some tools and our coaches can develop those tools.”

Jones also has a lot of versatility to his game. He can play linebacker or make some noise as a defensive end with his 6-5, 258-pound frame. Regardless of where he plays for the Commanders in Jack Del Rio's scheme, he has the potential to be a big steal in the draft.

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Published May 7, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.