Getty Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns drafted one of the largest human beings in the NFL in the fourth round of the most recent draft, and it’s lucky they did.
Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report on Saturday, October 7, mentioned rookie offensive tackle Dawand Jones as among the biggest steals of the 2023 draft. The Browns selected Jones in the fourth round out of Ohio State and thrust him almost immediately into a starting role after right tackle Jack Conklin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first half of the team’s Week-1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Jones stepped in and hasn’t missed a beat,” Fowler wrote. “A massive man who plays with bad intentions, the 6’8” Jones hasn’t allowed a sack in 144 pass-protection snaps, per [Pro Football Focus]. Working along a veteran front five isn’t an easy transition for many rookies, yet Jones has looked beyond his years with Wyatt Teller to his inside shoulder. Working around his 36⅜-inch arms makes life awfully tough for opposing pass-rushers.
Dawand Jones Has Been Browns’ Best Tackle in 2023
GettyOffensive tackle Dawand Jones of the Cleveland Browns blocks linebacker Nolan Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL preseason game in August 2023.
Cleveland entered the season with presumably one of the better offensive lines in the league, though Conklin’s injury and the subpar play of starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. quickly derailed that narrative.
Wills, a former first-round pick in 2020 (No. 10 overall), is playing on the fourth year of his initial $19.7 million rookie deal. The Browns this offseason chose to exercise their fifth-year team option, which will keep Wills under contract through next year and pay him another $14.2 million in 2024 alone.
That decision has proven to be borderline disastrous, as PFF currently ranks Wills the 66th-best tackle out of 71 players at the position who have played enough snaps to qualify. Jones has been considerably better, ranking 55th out of 71 offensive tackles and outperforming Wills by more than 17 points as a pass blocker, per PFF’s grading scale.
Jones’ footwork remains a work in progress, though he is showing himself capable of playing satisfactorily despite a steep learning curve, which is a positive sign for the Browns’ offensive line in the years to come.
Browns May Consider Upgrade Over Jedrick Wills Jr. at Left Tackle
GettyLeft tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. of the Cleveland Browns plays during an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in September 2022.
The Browns may consider trying to upgrade at left tackle ahead of the NFL’s October 31 trade deadline considering Wills’ struggles and the team’s declining running game since the season-ending knee injury suffered by Nick Chubb in Week 2.
Cleveland may have a couple of options from which to choose depending on the fortunes of a couple of AFC teams. Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles remains among the better players in the league at his position, despite his team getting off to a disappointing 1-4 start.
Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Jonah Williams, a former first-round pick who played left tackle for several years, requested a trade this summer after the team moved him to the right side.
It is unclear if either team will make either player available ahead of the deadline, but the Browns have the incentive as well as the money to pursue Bolles or Williams with nearly $34.5 million in salary cap space as of Sunday.