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Buckeyes OT Dawand Jones Selected BY Cleveland Browns With No. 111 Pick

The massive offensive tackle from Ohio State, Dawand Jones, has been selected by the Cleveland Browns

Cole Thompson

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Dawand Jones now knows where he'll begin his NFL career. 

Jones was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 111 pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He'll now become a stalwart on an offensive line that features Pro Bowl talent like Wyatt Teller, Jack Conklin, Joel Bitonio and Jedrick Wills. 

A two-year starter in Columbus, Jones has position flexibility after lining up at two different spots in Ohio State's trenches. The 6-8, 374-pound tackle started all 13 games at right guard in 2021 and later transitioned to right tackle in 2022. 

As a senior, Jones earned first-team All-American honors by CBS Sports and second-team honors by the Associated Press. He did not allow a sack during the 2022 season, helping quarterback C.J. Stroud win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Jones was a catalyst in helping the Buckeyes' offense finish second among FBS teams in scoring (44.2 points per game) and 14th in passing (298.3). 

Last season, Ohio State finished 11-2 and second in the Big Ten East behind Michigan. The Buckeyes managed to nab the final spot in the College Football Playoff, and delivered one of the better bowl performances in a 41-40 loss to Georiga in the Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve. 

Jones finished his Buckeyes' career allowed four sacks, one hit, 13 hurries and 18 pressures in 1,723 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also garnered extra buzz through the pre-draft process after participating in the Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Ala. 

Prior to finding success on the gridiron, Jones initially planned on playing college basketball. Originally committed to Kent State, Jones' high coaches encouraged him to continue working on his craft and wait for a football scholarship.

Jones is now the fourth Buckeyes star to hear his name called during the draft. Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist, was selected No. 2 overall by the Houston Texans and was the second quarterback taken following Alabama's Bryce Young, who became the first Crimson Tide player to be drafted No. 1 overall. 

Fellow offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the sixth overall pick and is expected to be the long-term blindside blocker for former No. 1 pick Kyler Murray. Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who broke Ohio State's single-season receiving record (1,606) in 2021, was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 20 pick. 

In Cleveland, Jones will likely serve as Conklin's backup, but could be viewed as a long-term replacement for Wills should the franchise look to part ways. Cleveland will have until Tuesday's deadline to pick up the former No. 10 overall pick's fifth-year option. 

The Browns, who made headlines last year after trading for Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, finished 7-10 in the AFC North. Watson and fellow QB Jacoby Brissett were sacked 44 times last season. 

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Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

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