The D.C. Defenders signed linebacker Mikel Jones and placed Lamont Gaillard on the injured reserve list on Tuesday according to the UFL Transactions page.
Mikel Jones is six foot and weighs 226 pounds. The 23-year-old from Miami, Florida, signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.
Jones made eight tackles (5 solo, 3 assists) in three preseason games before he was released on August 29, 2023. Then, Jones signed with the Dallas Cowboys on October 3, 2023, and was placed on the practice squad but was released 20 days later.
Collegiately, Jones played four seasons at Syracuse (2019-22) making 301 tackles (163 solo, 138 assists), 24 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, four interceptions for 41 yards, six pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in 46 games for the Orange. Jones was named First Team All-ACC in 2021 and Second Team All-ACC in 2022. In addition, he was a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award in 2022.
Lamont Gaillard is six foot three and weighs 305 pounds. The 28-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round (179th pick) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played 13 games for Arizona in 2020 of which two were starts. Gaillard also had stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.
Then, Gaillard signed with the D.C. Defenders on December 18, 2023. Gaillard has played five games, of which four were starts for the Defenders in 2024. The Defenders are ranked sixth in total yards (2,461), fifth in rushing yards (812), fifth in passing yards (1,649), sixth in yards per game (273.3), and sixth in points (178).
Collegiately, Gaillard played four seasons at Georgia (2015-18) playing center in 44 games for the Bulldogs. In 2018, Georgia’s offense had an SEC-leading 238.8 rushing yards per game.
