Former Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday, going as the No. 111 overall pick.
It’s no wonder Jones was a highly-sought after prospect in this year’s group of potential draftees, as he checked in as the largest player at the NFL Combine, measuring in at 6-8 and 374 pounds. Jones used that size to become a solid contributor at right tackle over the last two seasons for Ohio State.
Coming out of high school as a three-star prospect from Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Jones – a two-sport athlete who also played basketball – signed with Ohio State in the 2019 recruiting class. He appeared in nine games during his true freshman season, and in his pandemic-shortened sophomore season, appeared in six games and earned his first collegiate start.
He then started all 13 games for Ohio State in 2021, earning third-team All-American honors from Pro Football Focus and conference recognition with second-team All-Big Ten honors, while helping the Buckeyes’ offense rank first nationally in total offense and scoring.
Jones also started every game for the Buckeyes this past season, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors again and solidifying his position as one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the draft. According to The Draft Network’s Joe Marino, Jones – despite his gargantuan measurements – still has impressive movement, though that size can sometimes cause him to struggle to react to situations.
“Jones has the makeup of a quality starter at the next level that has plenty of dominant moments,” Marino wrote, “but his restrictions could lead to some variance based on matchups.”
Jones is the second offensive lineman off the board for the Buckeyes after former offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was taken by Arizona Cardinals with the No. 6 overall pick.
