Tag: Dawand Jones

Breaking down Touchdown Wire’s latest 3-round mock draft for Chiefs

Our @goldmctNFL takes a look at @TheNFLWire’s picks for the #Chiefs in their latest 3-round mock draft.

The clock continues to countdown to the 2023 NFL draft and we’re seeing plenty of intriguing mock draft scenarios for the Kansas City Chiefs as a result.

Our friend Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire released an updated mock draft through the first three rounds. He hits some big needs in the trenches for Kansas City early before sending them an intriguing pass catcher in the third round. Could the Chiefs go this route in the draft?

Here’s a quick reaction to the players sent to K.C. in this mock draft:

Bengals draft OT Dawand Jones in PFF mock draft simulator

A running simulation projects Dawand jones to the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals were projected to draft OT Dawand Jones from Ohio State University, according to Zach Tantillo’s mock draft model from Pro Football Focus.

The model takes from other mock drafts, finds the most common choice at each spot, and lists that as the most likely choice, which is why Jones ended up going at 28 to the Bengals.

Jones is a powerful 6-foot-8, 374-pound lineman who moves well for a player his size and could make an impact on an NFL team quickly.

The next two most popular choices were OT Anton Harrison and TE Michael Mayer.

Tantillo said that “protecting Joe Burrow is priority Nos. 1 and 2 for Cincinnati fans,” and he would be right. Even after signing the best offensive lineman on the market in Orlando Brown Jr., it is still possible for Cincinnati to fortify its line even further with Jones.

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2023 NFL Draft: Dawand Jones scouting report

Scouting report on giant Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones

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A massive human who has made a career of moving people, Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones will hope his size and play can carry him to an early selection as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.

Here is everything you need to know about the Buckeyes big blocker:

Cowboys grab star TE; add depth to OL, DL, LB corps in NFL.com’s latest mock

Dalton Kincaid is too good to pass up at No. 26 in this NFL.com mock; the Cowboys also look at a huge OT, a raw-talent LB, and DL depth. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Thanks to a handful a savvy free agency additions and timely re-signings, the Cowboys find themselves with no panic-time holes to fill on draft weekend in Kansas City. That should allow them the relative luxury of working their big board and selecting the best players available rather than reaching for a dicey prospect because he fills a desperate positional need.

That said, there are always areas on the roster that could use reinforcement, and the Dallas front office addresses a quartet of those in the latest four-round mock exercise from NFL.com‘s draft analyst Chad Reuter.

Pro Day roundup: Jaguars send 6 reps to Ohio State

The Jaguars’ tour of pro days before the 2023 NFL Draft included a large group attending the Ohio State workout Wednesday.

The NFL world descended on Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday for the Ohio State Pro Day. While the Jacksonville Jaguars probably didn’t care much about the day’s star, quarterback C.J. Stroud, they were still one of the most represented teams in attendance.

According to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, the Jaguars had six representatives at the Ohio State workout, more than all but five teams. The Carolina Panthers led the way with an absurdly large group that included ownership and just about the entire front office.

While Carolina has its eyes on Stroud, there are a few players who could make sense for the Jaguars. At the top of the list are behemoth right tackle prospect Dawand Jones and pass rusher Zach Harrison.

Jones measured in at a ridiculous 6’8, 374 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Harrison checks all the physical boxes the Jaguars look for in a pass rusher at 6’6, 274 pounds with 36.25-inch arms; however, he never recorded four sacks in a season at Ohio State.

Other pro days:

  • The Jaguars were one of a handful of teams spotted at the Southern Methodist Pro Day on Wednesday. The most notable prospect is Rashee Rice, a 6’1 receiver who recorded a 41-inch vertical at the combine.
  • Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith reportedly had a private meeting with the Jaguars, who were in attendance at his pro day last week.
  • The Jaguars were one of 13 teams reportedly in attendance at the Temple Pro Day on Wednesday. Offensive tackle Isaac Moore and linebacker Jordan Magee headline the list of Owls prospects.
  • Jaguars outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey was reportedly among the large turnout at the Iowa State Pro Day, where pass rusher Will McDonald IV was the star of the show Tuesday.
  • Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron drew the Jaguars’ attention at his pro day workout earlier this week. Offensive line coach Phil Rauscher was reportedly among those in attendance.
  • The Jaguars were one of the teams spotted at the Georgia Southern Pro Day where defensive backs Justin Birdsong and Derrick Canteen are the biggest standouts.
  • More than half the NFL was reportedly in attendance at the Northern Iowa Pro Day earlier this week. Offensive tackle Erik Sorensen and defensive back Benny Sapp at among the team’s standouts.

2023 NFL draft: Seahawks sending large contingent to Ohio State pro day

There are several other notable 2023 NFL draft prospects, though.

It’s Ohio State’s pro day and the Seahawks are rolling in deep. According to Jim Nagy, Seattle is sending eight people all together – and head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider will be among them. The main attraction is of course QB C.J. Stroud, who’s projected to come off the board at either No. 1 overall to the Panthers or No. 2 to the Texans. There are several other notable 2023 NFL draft prospects, though.

To name a few prospects who might interest Seattle:

DE Zach Harrison: Part of a deep edge class, Harrison totaled 11 sacks and 24 tackles for a loss in 40 games for the Buckeyes. He is projected to be a third-round draft pick.

OT Paris Johnson Jr.: Ranked the No. 1 OT in the draft class, Johnson will be out of reach for the Seahawks unless they take him first – which seems highly unlikely with Charles Cross and Abe Lucas projected to start long-term.

OT Dawand Jones: Then again, the Seahawks met with the gigantic Jones (6-foot-8, 360 pounds) at the combine, so we can’t rule out an OT pick yet. They also pushed hard to sign Trent Brown last year, so they may still want a monster to start at right tackle, then slide Lucas inside.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: An awesome 2021 season (95 catches, 1,606 yards, nine touchdowns) was enough to put Smith-Njigba high on the board. He is projected to be taken late in the first round – roughly around where Seattle will be picking at No. 20 overall.

C Luke Wypler: Free agent pickup Evan Brown is projected to start at center in 2023, but that shouldn’t the Seahawks from drafting one. Wypler is ranked No. 7 among all interior linemen in this class.

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Commanders GM Martin Mayhew will be in attendance at Ohio State’s pro day

The Commanders will likely pay close attention to Ohio State’s offensive tackles.

One of the most anticipated days on the NFL draft calendar occurs Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio State Buckeyes will hold their annual pro day, and all 32 NFL teams will be represented.

Representing the Washington Commanders will be general manager Martin Mayhew. Last season, head coach Ron Rivera joined Mayhew in Columbus and was seen on the field chatting with future Saints first-round pick Chris Olave. The Commanders were targeting a wide receiver with their first-round pick last spring, and the Buckeyes had two go in among the first 11 picks.

Washington ended up selecting former Penn State star Jahan Dotson after trading down to No. 16 overall.

Fourteen former Ohio State players will work out for NFL teams Wednesday. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba are among the 14 who are considered first-round locks.

Stroud will not be available for Washington, and the Commanders do not need a wide receiver. However, Johnson and fellow offensive tackle Dawand Jones could be of particular interest to the Commanders. Washington has a top 30 visit scheduled with Jones before the 2023 NFL draft.

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Browns scheduled to meet with standout Ohio State offensive tackle

The Browns are doing their due diligence (and taking advantage of visits that don’t count against their top-30)

While the Cleveland Browns are rumored to likely pick up the fifth-year option of left tackle Jedrick Wills, they are doing their due diligence on draft-eligible players as well. As they begin to conduct their Top-30 meetings with NFL prospects, they have one scheduled with standout Ohio State right tackle Dawand Jones (according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network). Well, it will not actually be a top-30 visit as local prospects do not count toward the official visits allowed.

Jones is a mammoth of a human being, measuring in at over 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. And his foot speed at that size is eye-popping good. He will likely hear his name called in the top 40 picks of the draft, but it makes sense for the Browns to use a visit that does not count against their top 30 to do due diligence.

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2023 NFL draft: Seahawks to host massive OT Dawand Jones for top 30 visit

The draft is full of surprises though and we now know Seattle is interested in at least one very large OT prospect.

After landing two long-term starters last year, exactly nobody is expecting the Seahawks to pick an offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL draft. The draft is full of surprises every year though and we now know Seattle is interested in at least one very large OT prospect.

According to Field Gulls, the Seahawks will be hosting Ohio State right tackle Dawand Jones for an official top 30 visit. Jones is one of the biggest prospects in this class. At the combine he measured in at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds with 36.375″ arms and 11.625″ hands. If that doesn’t sound scary enough just try watching him run the 40-yard dash.

Like a boulder rolling down a hill.

On paper the Seahawks shouldn’t be in the market for Jones because they have an excellent starter at this spot already in Abe Lucas.

However, this is isn’t the first time the front office has shown interest in a Rancor-sized right tackle. Remember, last year around this time Seattle made a very hard push to sign the 6-foot-8, 359 pound Trent Brown of the Patriots. While they couldn’t pry him away from New England the idea is clearly still there.

If they do decide to use a pick on Jones, the Seahawks could try sliding Lucas inside to right guard – where he might just be phenomenal.

For now this seems like a long shot or due diligence, though. Seattle has several much more pressing roster needs than offensive tackle and Jones is projected to be an early second-round draft pick.

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Commanders continue to land Illinois cornerback in latest mock draft from The Athletic

The Commanders continue to land defensive help in a new post-combine mock draft.

NFL free agency begins next, giving teams a chance to fill some holes ahead of next month’s 2023 NFL draft.

For the Washington Commanders, outside of quarterback, which the team is intent on giving second-year QB Sam Howell a chance, the team’s top needs are on the offensive line and at cornerback.

The Commanders met with multiple corners and offensive linemen at the combine last week. Washington paid specific attention to the offensive line, having formal meetings with over 20 prospects in Indianapolis. The Commanders have already scheduled Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones for a top-30 visit ahead of the draft.

If the Commanders can add at least one starter on the offensive line in free agency, someone who is better than Andrew Norwell or Trai Turner, that opens up the possibilities in the draft. Washington can take a cornerback in the first round and look to find offensive line help in the second and third rounds where there is good depth.

In his post-combine mock draft, Dane Brugler of The Athletic sees Washington picking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 16:

Although he doesn’t have ideal size (5-11 1/2, 181 pounds), Witherspoon plays much bigger than he looks and has the tape of an immediate NFL starter. Between the need on Washington’s roster and Witherspoon’s talent and play personality, the Illinois product wouldn’t be a hard sell to head coach Ron Rivera.

The Commanders are believed to have met with Witherspoon and Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. at the combine. It’s uncertain if the Commanders with Christian Gonzalez of Oregon.

In Brugler’s mock draft, Witherspoon is the third defensive back taken. He has Gonzalez landing at No. 6 and Alabama’s Brian Branch going No. 15. Porter lands one pick after the Commanders. 

Some consider Witherspoon to be the top cornerback prospect in this strong class. If he were the pick at No. 16, it would be good value for the Commanders. 

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