Selected in the second round (42nd overall) out of Utah State in 1980, Rulon Jones stayed in the Rocky Mountain region to begin his pro career and immediately stepped up as a pass-rushing threat. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 260 pounds, Jones possessed a rare combination of length, explosive speed, and high motor off the edge that allowed him to make an immediate impact in Denver's 3-4 front as a rookie.

Jones took over the starting right defensive end position in his second season in 1981 and held it down through 1987. Operating in Joe Collier’s defensive scheme, he developed into one of the premier interior and edge disruptors in the AFC. His peak stretch came in the mid-1980s, when he logged back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns in 1985 (10.0 sacks) and 1986 (13.5 sacks).

His dominant 1986 season earned him UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year honors, a First-Team All-Pro selection, and his second straight Pro Bowl appearance. That season, Jones served as the pass-rushing centerpiece for a defense that propelled Denver to the AFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XXI, followed by a second consecutive AFC title and Super Bowl XXII appearance the very next year.

Jones is officially credited with 52.5 sacks. However, including his pre-1982 totals (11.5 as a rookie in 1980 and 9.5 in 1981), his true tally stands at 73.5 total sacks.