2023 NFL Draft: Browns select OT Dawand Jones at No. 111 overall in the fourth round

The Cleveland Browns have a busy Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft with six selections. With their first pick in the fourth round, No. 111 overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Browns selected offensive tackle Dawand Jones from Ohio State. The Browns needed to improve the depth chart at offensive tackle with only three playable guys, Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin, and James Hudson, in the room. Jones was projected to go on Day 2, so getting a good value at a position of need is a good get for the Browns.The Athletic's Dane Brugler had Jones as his 62nd overall prospect and the sixth-best offensive tackle in the class. Here is what Brugler had to say about the newest Browns offensive tackle:

STRENGTHS: Extraordinary frame and mass with the wingspan of a Boeing 747 … his initial movements at the snap are well timed and repeatable … smooth mover for his size … doesn’t have rangy feet, but he compensates with his wide body and mile-long arms to reposition/outposition rushers … uses full extension to escort rushers wide of the pocket … he loves to snatch and bury defenders who try to rush down his middle … his pass-blocking balance looks much improved from his 2021 tape … doesn’t allow his length to go to waste in the run game … engulfs in the run game and drives defenders where he wants with his mauling hands … was always a basketball player first, and it has taken time for him to fully dedicate himself to football, but the Ohio State coaches say his energy improved each year … Wisconsin pass rusher Nick Herbig called Jones the best blocker he faced (Herbig: “That guy is a monster.”) … has clear upside with his age (young for a fourth-year senior) and background as a basketball-first athlete who has now embraced football.WEAKNESSES: High cut and sets tall, which leads to leverage breakdowns … ends up on the ground when he overextends and needs to shed the bad habits … gets in his own head and is late to anticipate/counter inside moves, allowing rushers to attack his inside half … tries to get a head start in pass pro, and his sheer size makes it easier for officials to spot when he leaves early (five false starts in 2022) … grabby hands … occasionally leans on blocks in the run game instead of controlling them … would like to see more “nasty” to his finish … his discipline is a work in progress (16 total penalties the last two seasons as a starter) … managing his weight and body composition will be imperative in the NFL (refused to weigh in at the Ohio State pro day) … NFL scouts grade him as a scheme-specific right tackle only.SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Ohio State, Jones lined up at right tackle in head coach Ryan Day’s zone/RPO-based offense. Although it took time for his mentality to change from “I’m a basketball player” to “I’m a football player,” he showed improvements each year in Columbus, including an All-American senior season in which he didn’t allow a single sack. As a run blocker, Jones flashes the heavy hands to steer and create movement and uses his natural size to cave in defenders on down blocks. As a pass blocker, he is effective when he can quick-set, eliminate space and get his hands on his target before they get into their rush, but covering up inside on wide-nine NFL speed is a different animal. Overall, Jones needs continued refinement with his decision-making and reaction skills, but he is a masher in the run game and his rare size/length and improved balance in pass pro have him on the trajectory to be an NFL starter. He will be valued higher by NFL teams that covet size and run blocking at right tackle.

Check out some of the highlights from Jones' college career:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCDc6lC7TMA