Welcome back! Let's get right into the fun. This time I will take a look at Ohio State's Dawand Jones. We all know that Jeff Stoutland University will continue to dominate this league. One of the biggest keys is the depth they have had at that position for a long time. I will be shocked if the Eagles do not go offensive line in either the first or second round. Seeing as Lane Johnson goes into the blue tent every other game and Jack Driscoll is not consistent to be a starter, maybe Howie looks for another RT.
Introducing Dawand Jones from Ohio State. NFL Expert Johnny U calls him "Big Fucking Dude." Jones has been mocked to the Eagles in the first round and as late as the 3rd round. I have been focusing on the first round. Let's take a look to see if Jones should be our late first round pick or if the Eagles should wait till to see if he falls to them in the 2nd or 3rd round.
Draft Profile
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 359 lbs
Hands: 11 5/8
Arms: 36 1/8
Span: 89
Age: 21.4
Jones only saw action in 7 games between 2019 and 2020. He got playing time his true freshman year and saw a similar role in the shortened 2020 season. In his first two seasons in Columbus, Jones played primarily at LT and gave up no sacks, no QB hurries, and 1 QB hit between 2019-2020.
Starting in 2021 he was moved over to RT, and he found his new home. He has played 28 games total with 14 being starts at the RT position. He saw the 3rd most snaps on the entire OSU roster in 2021 and was the leading force in an offensive line that ranked top 5 in passing in all of College Football.
Jones is the biggest offensive tackle in this draft. His size is truly unmatched to other prospects. We have seen over the years that size can either benefit a player or can it hurt their game once they get to the NFL. Jones has the experience at both LT and RT that can help a team who is looking for some versatility at the offensive line. Let's take a look at his strengths and areas of improvement for the Ohio State lineman.
Strengths
Good mix of size and mobility
Hands
Awareness
Usually when you have a lineman the size of Jones, their mobility is a major weakness. For Jones it definitely is not his greatest strength, but it for sure is not a weakness. With his size, he has decent foot speed on the snap and has a nice burst of speed to get to the defender. He has decent change of direction and has shown glimpses of becoming a lead blocker.
Like I said his mobility is not great, but it is not a weakness. His power and strength help with that so much. Due to him being the size of bigfoot and having incredible power/strength he is able to accelerate into contact and knock over smaller defenders with ease. When he moves up field, defenders run into him and fall over like they ran into a wall. Digging deeper into his mobility, he has the capability to swing his hips on blocks and has decent knee flexibility. For a player his size, he should not move as well as he does. There are better moving tackles, but this nowhere near a weakness.
His hands are some of the bests in this draft. In his stance, he keeps his hands low and tight, so when it is time, he has a nasty punch. His elite arm size has a driving force that his initial punch can usually get the job done, but when it does not, he has shown glimpses of great second punches and so on.
You saw the numbers, now they are not official, but his measurements will come out as some of the best in this draft. He is going to measure out well, but his hand work is phenomenal. He can shock the defender so much with it and works them like a fiddle.
In pass protection his awareness is incredible. He uses everything we talked about earlier and is so dominant. With stunting defenders, he has a great extension to help keep them in front of him. He can recognize a LB with a delayed blitz with a wide alignment, change of direction, and a long reach. He can pick up the delayed blitz while also continuing to focus on the blocker he is already engaged with.
In closing, Jones has a lot to offer for an NFL team. He has elite size. With his size his mobility is not a weakness for him. His toolbox of hand moves is as good as it gets in this draft.
Areas of Improvement
Countermoves from defenders
Focuses too much on his hands
Better footwork
I said earlier that Jones' mobility is not a weakness, but it sure is an area of improvement for him. He can be better with lateral shuffles in protection and does not have a great range of motion. All of this comes from his giant size. He moves very well for a player of his size, but he definitely needs to improve his overall mobility once he hits the league.
Due to his size, Jones often plays too tall for his frame and becomes very top heavy. When he gets caught being too tall, a quick defender can get under his pads with so much ease. When his center of gravity is off, he becomes so off balanced, and can be easily moved around. Jones is not the most athletic prospect we have seen and that has caused him to play too tall. He can be beaten with countermoves and speed.
His hand work is great. However, he focuses on his hands so much. When he gets to the point where he focuses too much on his hands, his hands become wide, and that opens his torse up. When he opens up, his lack of athleticism makes him an easy target for power and strength defenders.
Should the Eagles Draft Dawand Jones?
I am not sure if this is going to be a popular take, but I am going to say the Eagles should look to draft Jones late in the 1st round, but only if one thing continues to happen. If Jeff Stoutland is here, then the Eagles should draft Jones late in the first round. Looking at his film, his weaknesses are coachable, and we already know there is no one better than Stoutland. I like what Jones can bring to this team. He has insane size and great hands. If he can work on his mobility and mechanics, I think we could find our new long-term RT.
I do not think he starts day 1. He would have to be the back-up to Lane Johnson, but with some mentorship, lack of pressure, and good coaching, we may continue to have one of the best RT's in the league. The other part I love about Jones, is he has experience at LT. He has the versatility to play both tackles, and who knows maybe Jeff Stoutland will turn him into a guard!