Browns OT Dawand Jones shuts down rumor for NFL Draft slide
When the Cleveland Browns grabbed Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft, they got who many considered to be one of the top steals.
Once considered a possible first-round pick by many scouts and draft experts, SI.com’s Albert Breer suggested Jones’ slide down the draft board was less about his character or skillset and more about his dedication to the sport — a notion Jones shut down via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
Breer’s report stated that “Jones’s pre-draft process went as sideways as possible (constant weight questions, handling of the Senior Bowl and pro day, telling teams his dream was to play in the NBA, not the NFL).”
Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot confirmed Breer’s point about teams being concerned about Jones’ weight during the pre-draft process. The 6-foot-8 tackle weighed in at 374 pounds during the NFL Combine, some 14 pounds heavier than his playing weight at Ohio State.
But despite any perceived red flags, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters after the draft that Jones was just too good of a player to pass on in Round 4.
"We think he is a young, talented guy," Berry said, via the team’s official website. "A work in progress, like a lot of the guys that come into the league. It's hard to find someone that has that rare of size and also his movement skills."
A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Jones was nearly immovable during his last two seasons at Ohio State, allowing just 12 pressures and three sacks on 887 pass-blocking snaps.
He surrendered zero sacks and just five quarterback pressures on 394 pass-blocking snaps for the Buckeyes in 2022, where he started all 12 games at right tackle and blocked for No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud. He was also named a Second Team All-American.
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