Steelers Draft Profile: Mammoth Ohio State OT Dawand Jones Shooting up Boards

MOBILE, Ala — Dawand Jones is not your ordinary man. The 6-foot-8, 375-pound tackle out from Ohio State stood like a tower on the field at Hancock-Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama throughout the week, even after he exited after a stellar first day.

What sprung him to such a great day? Part of it is that Jones has lost a shocking amount of weight since the end of Ohio State’s season. Jones said that he shed three percent of his body fat since the end of the season, knocking him down to just 24 percent total body fat.

“Yeah, the thing people don’t know is that I’ve lost about three percent body fat since our season ended,” Jones said. “So, I think I’m down to like 24 percent body fat now. I feel good about it.”

The Steelers paid particularly close attention to offensive linemen throughout the week, and Jones put on a show with Mike Tomlin watching right in front of him. His lateral movement skills stand out as a massive boon to his stock, and the buzz around Mobile is that he is shooting up boards.

Dawand Jones goodness lmao pic.twitter.com/SMphj3boOx

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 31, 2023

“I just go out there and focus on the simple things,” Jones said. “There are tells in their stance, but I really look at my hands, my footwork as the base to me being successful. I think that’s led to a lot of my success here today.”

Jones missed the rest of the practice week after being evaluated for a concussion. However, everyone knew Jones and what his game was about after the first day. There is pure, ruthless aggression that Jones plays with on the field. He is not a super polished prospect, but he has the size and athleticism to be a one-in-a-kind prospect in this draft class.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Jones said. “You know, I go out there and I play with an edge. What I was always taught was that you had to be a little mean and have a nasty streak. I bring that to the table when I step out here, so I feel like I had to show the scouts what I’m about.”

Jones is trending toward being a top-two-round pick with his size. In fact, some mock drafts even see Jones as a first-round pick at this juncture. When you have his size with his surprising lateral mobility, that just might happen. Jones continues to rise up boards and Indianapolis should be big for him.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Measured at the Senior Bowl: 6-foot-8 1/8, 375 pounds, 36 5/8 inch arms, 11 3/8 inch hands, 89 1/2 wingspan

DAWAND JONES SCOUTING REPORT

As stated above, there is an easy aggressiveness that you have to appreciate about Jones’ game. I’m not sure that he has all of the tools in his toolbox with his hand usage or leverage yet, so some guys can get under his pads, but he has grown in that area each year and has downright elite length. The fact that he is losing weight is also good as he carried too much negative weight on his frame this season.

At the Senior Bowl, Jones looked nimble and had polished footwork that lays the groundwork for Jones to be a contributor early in his career. This is a player who can play on each side of the line and will be a plus in the run game with his size and mauler mentality. In addition, he is scheme versatile due to his athletic gifts.

HOW DOES HE FIT?

The Steelers could use a big tackle like Jones, and really most teams can use him. Jones has rough edges that keep him away from the top of this tackle class for me, but his upside could equal those up in the first round. So, the Steelers, who run independent hands, aggressive sets, and a multiple-run scheme, seem like a natural fit for the Buckeye. This is actually a good fit and someone to watch as the draft goes along.

WHERE WILL HE BE DRAFTED?

Jones saw a resurgence in his stock around the beginning of January, where is has stuck ever since. However, in some post-Senior Bowl mock drafts, Jones is slipping into the back half of the first round, but for now, his consensus position is around 40th overall. So, consider him a potential option at 32 for the Steelers if they pass on a tackle at 17.