Former Ohio State starter turned NFL draft steal suffers an unfortunate ending to his 2024 season
Every single draft cycle in the NFL, several Ohio State players are selected. Sometimes, players end up going a bit later than they probably should. That was the case for former Ohio State starting tackle Dawand Jones, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones has proven to be a […]
Every single draft cycle in the NFL, several Ohio State players are selected. Sometimes, players end up going a bit later than they probably should.
That was the case for former Ohio State starting tackle Dawand Jones, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones has proven to be a starting-level pass protector already and has played better than that draft stock he has labeled to him.
Unfortunately, Jones’ 2024 NFL season is being cut short. In Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints, Jones was rolled up on by teammate Wyatt Teller and suffered a fractured left fibula against New Orleans.
It comes at a bad time for Jones, who had made the switch from right tackle to left tackle with the Browns. The last four games have all come on the left side for Jones and it seemed as if he was settling in on that side of the offensive line. Now, he is set to miss the final seven games of the regular season.
"I thought he was doing some decent things over there, as we talked about transitioning to that side," Stefanski said after the game. "Disappointed for any guy that's out for the season when they have a season-ending injury. He knew it right away, so I feel bad for him."
Jones has played in all 10 games for the Browns this season and has made eight starts. As a rookie last season, Jones started nine of the 11 games he played in before suffering a knee injury that would cut his season short.
Coming out of Ohio State, the weight concerns were legit for Jones and it likely dropped him down the board for some teams. However, Jones has proven to be a starter in this league when he is healthy. Availability is always the biggest key.
Now, the former Buckeye will have to rehab his way back and prepare to work in the offseason and be ready to start the 2025 season, which is what the Browns appear to be looking forward to anyway.
