Ernest Jones

Ernest Jones was selected by the Rams in the third round (103rd overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft (4/30/21). Through his first 32 career regular season games, Jones has registered 171 total tackles. This ranks tied for eighth-most in Rams franchise history through a players first 32 career games.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Activated from Los Angeles Rams injured reserve list (1/29/22)
• Placed on injured reserve list (12/28/21)
• Selected by the Rams in the third round (103rd overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft (4/30/21).

NFL Career:

• Through his first 32 career regular season games, Jones has registered 171 total tackles. This ranks tied for eighth-most in Rams franchise history through a players first 32 career games.
• Played in all 17 regular season games (11 starts) in 2022. Tallied 113 tackles (65 solo), four tackles for loss, one pass breakup, one interception and five quarterback pressures.
• Ranked second on the team in tackles (113), second in solo tackles (65), and missed only six tackles on 693 defensive snaps in 2022. • Was the Rams highest-graded player in the Week 1 matchup against the Bills in 2022 with a 91.2 grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
• Appeared in 15 regular season games (seven starts) during his rookie season in 2021 and tallied 58 tackles (33 solo), 1.0 sack, one tackle for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions (50 return yards) and six quarterback pressures.
• Saw action in two playoff games, including Super Bowl LVI, where he had a standout performance with seven tackles (six solo), 1.0 sack, one pass breakup and four quarterback pressures.
• Tallied a season-high 11 tackles (five solo) and one pass defensed in a Week 15 victory over the Seahawks in 2021.
• In Week 14 of the 2021 season, Jones recorded seven tackles (five solo), a pass breakup and an interception with a return of 31 yards.
• Registered nine or more tackles in three regular season contests in his rookie campaign.
• Had nine tackles (seven solo) and an interception in his first start against the Houston Texans in Week 8 of the 2021 season.

College

As a junior in 2020, Jones played middle linebacker and was the vocal leader of the defense at South Carolina. He was named one of four permanent team captains and earned fourth-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele. He started each of the first nine games and led the team in tackles for the second- consecutive year with 86 stops. He averaged 9.6 tackles per game, which ranked sixth in the SEC, and had four games with at least 11 tackles during the season. He notched a career-best 19 tackles at LSU, the most tackles in a game by a Gamecock since Roy Hart had 19 stops at Nebraska in 1987. He almost matched that total with 18 tackles at Ole Miss and had two of the top 17 single-game tackle performances recorded at the FBS level in 2020. Jones was one of 16 semifinalists for the Butkus Award after recording 199 tackles in just 26 games over the three seasons. He made 21 starts with 10.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups, six quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries. During his sophomore campaign in 2019, Jones started all 12 games at middle linebacker, making a team-high 97 tackles, 20 more than anyone else on the squad. He ranked fourth in the SEC with 8.1 tackles per game and had 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, five pass breakups, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. As a true freshman, Jones played in five games and was credited with 16 tackles (10 solo). He made his first tackle in his debut against Coastal Carolina.

Personal

Jones graduated from Ware County High School in Georgia in December of 2017 where he logged 112 total tackles (70 solo) and six tackles for loss as a senior for the Gators. He also accounted for 2.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and five QB hurries in his final campaign. Jones was a first-team all-state Class AAAAA selection and was the 59th-ranked outside linebacker prospect in the country and 84th-best overall prospect in Georgia, according to 247's national composite rankings. He was named to the PrepStar All-Southeast Region team. Jones majored in public health.