49ers roster: 3 players who aren’t getting enough respect in 2021

Unsung 49ers Player No. 3: Defensive Tackle D.J. Jones

Nose tackles rarely wind up being the focal point of a defensive line. Especially not in the 49ers’ case when Nick Bosa is around and with 1-techniques being featured more on run-only downs anyway.

But fifth-year defensive tackle D.J. Jones is such an integral part of the Niners defensive line, and San Francisco has sorely missed him when he’s suffered injuries the last two years.

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Jones is more than just a run-stuffing defensive tackle. In 2019, Jones flashed his pass-rushing talents with two sacks — a rarity for those 1-techniques who aren’t on the field in obvious pass-rushing situations. And it was pretty clear Jones’ absence late that year was felt in a big way.

In 2020, though, Jones doubled down on his pass-rushing efforts by picking up three sacks while not sacrificing the run-stopping efforts he already displayed the year before.

It’s likely San Francisco, with questions about some of its D-line depth, tries to field Jones a bit more than in previous years with the intent of making him as much of an interior anchor alongside second-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

So, while Kinlaw and the outside pass-rushers might get a lot of the credit, look for Jones to do a lot of the dirty work even if his stats may not be anywhere near as flashy.