Cleveland Browns Comprehensive NFL Draft Review: Dawand Jones, OT Ohio State

The Cleveland Browns selected Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones with the 111th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones was dominant in college and there is very little precedent for someone this size, which could enable him to be highly successful in the NFL.

The Cleveland Browns used the first of their two fourth round picks to select the biggest prospect in this year's class, Dawand Jones, offensive tackle out of Ohio State. 

Jones was the first of two starting offensive linemen from Ohio State that were selected by the Browns in this class. The gargantuan tackle started every game on the right side for each of the past two seasons, only yielding a total of 12 pressures and three sacks on 887 pass reps. None of those sacks came in 2022, part of the reason he was named First-Team All American by CBS Sports.

Athletic Profile 

Browns general manager Andrew Berry referred to Jones as a modern day Goliath. He's always going to the biggest man on the field. Elite height, length and size.

5.35 is a mediocre forty time for most anyone running it. That is unless the person running it is 374 pounds. In that scenario, it's good. It's a shame that's the only test he did not only to evaluate but just to see what he could do. The marks might not have looked pretty in a vacuum, but he likely would've graded out well because of the power necessary to move that much weight.

Jones won't be 22 until August, which is helpful.

The weight is a concern. Jones is hugely strong and so much of his weight is muscle, but just in terms of the stress that puts on his joints, especially his knees and ankles, it's substantial. Hopefully he can get under 350 to avoid some lower body injuries over the course of his career. Any additional quickness is a bonus at that point.

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Game Tape

One might assume that Jones is sluggish, relying entirely on his mass to carry him. He's got an excellent first step in the run game and shows the lateral mobility necessary to excel in pass protection. Unquestionably, he benefits from his sheer ballast he has between his build and massive wing span, but his feet are pretty solid in their own right. Jones is also far better going forward, which is one of the more attractive elements of his game.

So much of what Jones did at Ohio State was blocking down on opponents, whether as part of a zone or gap concept. He fires off the ball and clears out space. His momentum is difficult to resist and the best hope opponents have is to get out of the way as opposed to trying to fight pressure with pressure. Occasionally Jones gets too far forward and falls, which is like a tree falling down in the woods. You may want the tree to come down but if it falls on you, you're dead.

Jones also will try to find work in the running game. His arms are long enough that he can be blocking someone, he can still reach out and slow down another defender coming down hill. That initial quickness and length also make him effective with reach blocking and there are plays where he reaches the end, then is able to pick up a linebacker. His club alone can stun an opponent and ensure he gets outside leverage to seal them from the play.

Rarely was Jones asked to pull, but he's not as bad as it as one might think. Jones looks good moving forward. He may be high, so it can look awkward, but he can cover ground. He shines going outside to pick up defenders in space or climbing to the second level. Jones is on opponents quicker than they expect and between his body and his reach, it's difficult to get away from him. As a result, he often engulfs linebackers and almost creates a one man tunnel running the ball.

Jones will flash a finisher's mentality, but there are plenty of snaps when he plays until he thinks his job is done and stops. This happens quite a bit when he's on the back side of plays.

In pass protection, Jones shows excellent patience when it comes to sliding outside. Confident he can get to opponents who want to race him, he doesn't open the door to get beat inside. That also helps him navigate stunts because he's not overcommitting.

That killer instinct he flashes will show up in some of his pass blocking. There are times when he's not content to just protect the quarterback. Rather than giving the edge rusher a chance to try to execute his pass rush plan, Jones just attack, stopping them before they starts and shutting down the rep. He will also have examples of plays where the whistle blows and he's 10 yards away because he simply pushed the pass rusher that far out.

Jones can sap the will of opponents and there are games where opponents are almost resigned to their fate. Additionally, it's interesting how many teams will have the edge rusher on his size drop to the flat.

He does a nice job of mirroring with his feet, keeping them moving throughout the block. When Jones gets his hands on the rusher, he doesn't lose. Not only are his arms long, but he's got powerful hands that shut down the opponent. 

The opponents who have had been able to get by Jones are usually getting him to reach and miss or somehow keep his hands off their body. But even when Jones is vulnerable, his length and power can enable him to recover. Jones is able to extend his arm and push the opponent past the quarterback. Occasionally, he sends the pass rusher to the ground in the process.

There are also a handful of examples where Jones allows himself to get driven back because he doesn't really anchor before was able to sprawl and save the rep. Because Jones is so high cut, he is somewhat vulnerable to opponents who maximize leverage. However, they have to be powerful enough to pay it off. Jones is high cut and not the best bender, but he's so massive it has yet to really matter. How many pass rushers really want to try to get under Jones only to have him sprawl and bring all of that size down on them on them?

Jones is someone who is going to get called for the occasional pre-snap penalty, often trying to get off the ball early. He had 16 penalties over the past two seasons.

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Fit, Usage and Projection

While Jones may not look it, he can be a good fit in the offense the Browns runs. He is mobile enough to execute inside and outside zone. Jones may not be ideal to use as a puller, but he can certainly block down when pulls are coming from the other side.

Jones excels in straight drop back situations as a pass protector. He's not really built to fly around and protect a quarterback trying to extend plays. On one hand, that makes him entirely predictable for Deshaun Watson at quarterback. On the other hand, that could result in plays where the quarterback is on his own.

Additionally, Jones having the ability to block down or reach is valuable in an offense that wants to utilize RPOs the way the Browns do.

Jones being able to increase his flexibility and becoming a more natural bender would help him become more efficient as a blocker, but given just how high cut he is, this may be simply who he is. It's worked for him to this point.

Jones is going to be a swing tackle to start. Most would limit him to being a right tackle only and it's possible the Browns view him that way as well. However, his consistency as a pass protector could make him a good option at left tackle.

Some of that will depend on how the organization views James Hudson III at this point. He was the swing tackle this past year and the Browns could now try to give them more permanence, having each of them focus on a side. They could also opt to cross train both of them.

One place Jones should immediately see reps is on field goal. The Browns have been miserable protecting kicks the past few years and Jones could immediately provide some help on that front. He also becomes additional depth up front and represents another shot at a starter if the Browns decide to replace Jedrick Wills or Jack Conklin in the coming years.

Due to an incomplete athletic profile, it's difficult to give a projection on what's possible for Jones in the NFL. Between what he did test and his performance on tape, he looks like someone that could be a long-term starter.