Steelers Contingency Reportedly 'Upset' With 2023 NFL Draft Prospect OT Dawand Jones

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been clear about their desperate search for an offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the 17th overall, they have a few options if they want to replace Chukwuma Okorafor or Dan Moore Jr., the latter of which is more likely. Earlier in the week, it was reported that the Steelers have had negotiations with the Chicago Bears in regards to their ninth overall pick. 

More specifically, the discussions seemed to revolve around Pittsburgh targeting a specific player, which happens to be Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr. He's regarded as arguably the best offensive tackle in this year's class, alongside Northwestern's Peter Skoronski, making him a likely top-10 selection. That’s not the only Ohio State tackle that has generated a ton of draft buzz though. 

Dawand Jones seems likely to go in one of the first two rounds, making the Steelers a possible fit. After the conclusion of the football season, Jones suddenly began to see his draft stock rise a bit. Now, it seems like the topic of Jones has soured a bit for the black and gold. Pro Football Network's Tony Pauline recently appeared on the Steelers Sanctuary Podcast, and he provided an interesting tidbit on the Ohio State lineman.

“Dawand Jones is falling down draft boards. He had one phenomenal day of practice at the Senior Bowl, but then he packed it in. Didn’t practice the next two days. Didn’t play in the game. Went to the Combine, ran the 40 [yard dash], did position drills. I was at the Ohio State Pro Day with Mike Tomlin and those guys, and they were very [upset] because Jones did nothing at his Pro Day."

Just based off this report from Pauline, that has to make it unlikely that the Steelers brass even considers Jones with the 17th overall pick. It could explain their desire to trade into the top-10 for his OSU teammate as well. While he presumably remains on the board for Pittsburgh, specifically with the 32nd pick, his Pro Day performance obviously did not help his case. In a draft class in which the offensive tackles are all so close in talent, things like this can separate guys from others. 

CB Patrick Peterson Wants Steelers To Draft Jones

Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, who signed with the team this offseason, is already advocating for the team's first selection in the upcoming draft. In an appearance on NFL Network on Wednesday, the DB sees Jones as the right pick at #17 for the black and gold. He mentioned a few reasons behind that pick, including his massive, natural size and the fact that he did not give up a sack in 419 pass blocks. 

Furthermore, he played against Big 10 competition, which is regarded as the second-best conference in college football. That's important to Peterson, as it makes for an easier transition to the next level. It'll be interesting to see if the news holds, and whether or not the team still pursues Jones. The team seems set on drafting a tackle in the first two rounds, it's only a matter of who.