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Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones was clearly the biggest winner from the first day of Senior Bowl practices
If you’re looking for an early winner from this year’s Senior Bowl, Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones made an emphatic statement before he even hit the field.
Jones’ measurements once he arrived in Mobile were nothing short of mind-boggling, with a massive frame and the longest measured wingspan in Senior Bowl history.
Once Jones did make his way to the gridiron, he proved he can put those rare physical traits to good use against opposing pass rushers:
Predicting where Ohio State players will land in NFL Draft #GoBucks #NFLDraft
The only NFL game remaining is the Super Bowl. That means 30 of the 32 teams in the league are focusing on the NFL draft and how to build for their futures. Now the NFL draft may not mean much to your average college football fan, but Ohio State fans love paying attention to former alumni and cheering them on in the big league.
The Buckeye program has a strong pipeline to the NFL. Even if you sit on the bench during your time at Ohio State, you are still likely to get a shot in the NFL, because of the prestige of the program. Realistically there are eight legit NFL prospects coming from Ohio State into the league this year, and I wanted to break down where they might get selected.
The National team had some standouts on Tuesday afternoon’s first practice. @TheRealForno breaks down his biggest risers and fallers
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is a place where all 32 teams and numerous members of the media congregate to look at the best senior NFL draft prospects. The Minnesota Vikings have a contingent down there and are trying to gather information to help them make more informed draft decisions.
During the week, it’s all about practice and seeing how the players match up against their equals and see how they handle drills. After the first day of practice, here are 10 guys that saw their stock go up and down on Tuesday.
Dewand Jones is a big man… a really big man. #GoBucks
We all know that Dawand Jones is a big man… a really big man. Standing in at 6-feet, 8-inches, and 360 pounds, Jones is hard to miss. However, the legend of how big the offensive tackle truly is just grew even more.
Jim Nagy, who is the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, shared that Jones now has the longest wingspan ever recorded at the event. The Senior Bowl is largely an opportunity for college seniors to make an impression on NFL scouts before the draft combine.
Part of the festivities is to take players’ measurements. According to Nagy, Jones set a new record, officially becoming the longest player in Senior Bowl history with a wingspan of 89.5 inches. That would be the normal wingspan of a person who stands at 7 feet, 5 inches.
Out of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jones was a bit of a diamond in the rough for the Buckeyes. He was only listed as a 3-star recruit in the 2019 class.
Where Jones will land in the draft remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, the simple measurables will catch scouts’ attention for sure.
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Only two Ohio State players were taken in the latest CBS Sports mock draft. #GoBucks
It is that time of the year when fans of failing NFL franchises start to look forward to the 2023 NFL Draft and the hope of a new star added to their roster. Josh Edwards has released his updated mock draft for CBS Sports and it is a little surprising.
Typically we have seen the dynamic trio of Paris Johnson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and C.J. Stroud get selected in the first round, and sometimes Dawand Jones is sprinkled in there as well. This newest mock draft has the lowest amount of former Ohio State stars in the first round that I have seen so far this off-season and honestly I disagree with it, but nonetheless, let’s dive into what the expert has to say.
Another Ohio State offensive lineman has made his decision of whether to come back to Ohio State or head off to the NFL. #GoBucks
It’s official. Though he had already accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, Ohio State football offensive tackle Dawand Jones had yet to officially announce his intentions of declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.
Until now.
Jones took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a thank you note and announce his decision to move on to the next chapter of his life and enter his name into the draft. He joins fellow linemen Luke Wypler and Paris Johnson Jr. as Ohio State players that will hopefully hear their names called in April.
Out of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jones was a bit of a diamond in the rough for the Buckeyes. At 6-foot, 8-inches, and 360-pounds, he was only listed as a 3-star recruit in the 2019 class. His size and athleticism as a multiple sport athlete — especially his ability to move around the basketball court — got him on OSU’s radar as a guy that could be light on his feet, yet move big bodies in the Big Ten.
Jones was a full-time starter for the last two seasons and has a total of 40 games under his belt at the collegiate level including 26 starts. He was a consensus All-American at tackle this past season, the first to do so since Orlando Pace in 1996. Still, Jones has a ton of untapped potential and could develop into a beast in the NFL for whichever team decides to draft him.
New Journey 🧩 pic.twitter.com/VkqsEVVBII
— Dawand Jones (@dawandj79) January 11, 2023
With the announcement, Ohio State has now officially lost three starters off of the 2022 line that helped pave the way for the nation’s No. 2 ranked offense in both yards and points.
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Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones is making the jump to the next level, declaring for the 2023 NFL draft
New Journey 🧩 pic.twitter.com/VkqsEVVBII
— Dawand Jones (@dawandj79) January 11, 2023
One of the best offensive lineman in the Big 10 is making the jump to the next level.
Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones is declaring for the 2023 NFL draft, making his announcement via social media Wednesday.
A well-rounded prospect with a track record of success against some of the nation’s best defenders, Jones should be one of the first players off the board at his position, and could end up sneaking into the first round.
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Great news for the offensive line #GoBucks
The Ohio State football program hasn’t received the best news regarding their offensive line in the last few days. It wasn’t a surprise offensive tackle [autotag]Paris Johnson Jr.[/autotag] decided to leave for the NFL, however, center [autotag]Luke Wypler [/autotag] leaving was.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that a third starter, tackle [autotag]Dawand Jones[/autotag], will follow his teammates to the NFL since he’s already committed to playing in the Senior Bowl.
The unit could have lost a fourth member. However, [autotag]Matthew Jones[/autotag] announced Wednesday morning that he plans to return to Columbus for another season. Jones and fellow guard [autotag]Donovan Jackson[/autotag] will be the two returning starters along the line in 2023 if Jones does what we expect.
RUN IT BACK THEN 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/CKu0RZ6jEK
— Matt Jones (@GrindTime55) January 11, 2023
Jones mentions unfinished business in his return post, which surely means a win against our rivals along with another shot with his [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] teammates at a College Football Playoff title.
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Another portal miss for the Buckeyes #GoBucks
The Ohio State football team is starting to see which needs are becoming larger during the NFL declaration window. On Tuesday, offensive tackle [autotag]Paris Johnson Jr.[/autotag] announced his intention to leave Columbus with eligibility remaining.
Ohio State’s other starting tackle, [autotag]Dawand Jones[/autotag] hasn’t made his intentions known, but most assume he will join Johnson and move onto the next level. Buckeye head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] must have known this was coming. He has pursued multiple transfer portal linemen, but with no success thus far.
Tuesday brought another miss. Former [autotag]Washington State[/autotag] offensive lineman [autotag]Jarrett Kingston[/autotag], who had visited Columbus, chose to commit to USC.
Welcome to the family, @JKingston52! 😤✌️ pic.twitter.com/F4h6tRADtU
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) January 10, 2023
Transfer portal recruiting is starting to get a bit concerning. [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] has had many more disappointing stories than successful ones. With teams able to reload much easier via the portal, Ryan Day might need to reassess his philosophy in getting those players to stay on campus after visiting.
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So many thoughts but these stuck out in my mind the most. How about yours Buckeye fans? #GoBucks
If you were like me, it was hard to sleep Saturday night.
For more than three quarters of the [autotag]Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl[/autotag], it looked like [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] would face [autotag]TCU[/autotag] with a national championship on the line. Georgia had different plans. It mounted a massive comeback during the fourth quarter and sent the Buckeyes back to Columbus with a disappointing loss.
Since the game ended, many thoughts have passed through my head, some good, some bad and a great many pondering what the future for [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and his program will look like. Here are my thoughts the day after Ohio State’s 42-41 loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal. (Also, happy New Year’s everyone, even if it wasn’t what many of us wanted).
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.
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