Who is Naquan Jones? 5 things to know about Chargers new defensive tackle

The Chargers added the second defensive lineman in free agency, Naquan Jones. Similar to Da'Shawn Hand, Jones' deal is for one year.

Neither of these guys have double-digit starts to their names for their careers, but they will help replace some lost depth along the defensive line. Let's get to know a bit about Jones, a former Michigan State stud.

Familiarity with Chargers

If the name sounds familiar, Jones had a solid performance against the Chargers in the 2024 season. He racked up his second sack of the year and another quarterback hit. While he played just 20 snaps in that contest, he made his presence felt. Chargers fans are hoping to see more of that in the near future.

Career year in 2024

Jones enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024. While he didn't log any starts on the year, he finished with career highs in sacks (3), QB hits (4), tackles for loss (3), and pass deflections (2). Jones played 260 (34%) defensive snaps for the Cardinals, and perhaps he is ready for an uptick in playing time in the right system.

Former undrafted free agent

UDFAs always play with a chip on their shoulder, and that's no different with Jones. After a four-year career at Michigan State, Jones went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. He worked his way onto the Titans roster in his rookie year and made five starts. Since then, he's carved out a nice career for himself, which may be the best opportunity he's had in his career.

Jones or Hand?

These two will have to help replace the loss of Poona Ford, but it will be interesting to see who starts. One has to figure that at least one of these two will be in the starting lineup, although they only have 16 combined career starts between the two of them. It will be a tall task after the season that Ford had, although defensive coordinator Jesse Minter should be both of them in the right position to succeed.

Harbaugh college connection

Jones spent four seasons with Michigan State, but before that, Michigan recruited him heavily. He re-opened his commitment at one point but ultimately committed back to the Spartans over Michigan and others. Jim Harbaugh's connections from college have carried into the NFL in a big way in his early Los Angeles tenure.

This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 5 things to know about new Chargers defensive tackle Naquan Jones

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