2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Dawand Jones (OT – Ohio State)

As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Dawand Jones.

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2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Dawand Jones (OT – Ohio State)

Dawand Jones (OT – Ohio State)

6’8” – 350 lbs.

Background:

Three-star recruit who played a total of 170 snaps including one start over his first two seasons, all at left tackle. Flipped over to the right side and has been the team’s full-time starter for the past two seasons (24 games), not counting one game in which he played virtually the whole game. Allowed just four career sacks and none this past season.

Positives:

Has been a highly consistent starter since taking over the right tackle spot in 2021. Has all-world size; the biggest tackle in a draft class that has plenty of size at the position. Hands are very powerful, with an excellent shove to knock defenders off-balance; able to overwhelm opponents on contact and rack up pancake blocks, crushing defenders under his girth. Keeps his feet going once engaged to generate push in a phone booth. Short-area quickness is good enough to climb up to the second level and cause problems. Dancing-bear type who’s surprisingly smooth and nimble for a player with his size; has adequate to above-average lateral quickness for the position in absolute terms, which is incredible relative to the few players with comparable builds. Plays with adequate knee bend and an appropriately-wide base. Hand placement and extension in pass pro are very solid, resetting well and showing a good level of activity. Has the anchor strength you’d expect given his size. Keeps his head on a swivel and destroys opponents as the help blocker.

Negatives:

Weight climbed over 370 pounds at one point, which negatively impacted his athleticism, so conditioning will be important. Pad level tends to be high despite adequate knee-bend. Struggles to maintain his form when pass-protecting against rushers from wide alignments. Change-of-direction is below average, struggling to pivot and defend the inside move once he gets going. Has been somewhat penalty-prone, with sixteen penalties over the past two years. Will probably need to make it at tackle, as there are relatively few guards as tall as him; didn’t take any recorded snaps inside in in-game situations either.

Summary:

Has rare size, athleticism, and coordination for a player of that size, traits which should tantalize teams looking for a starting right tackle. Could fit in either a zone or inline scheme, winning in a phone booth or disrupting defensive fronts in space in the run game and mirroring effectively in pass protection. As long as he keeps his weight under control, looks like a pretty safe bet to develop into a long-term starter sooner rather than later.

Projection: Round 1-2