By normal standards, most NFL players are big people. Even the smaller players tend to overwhelm most of the population. But there are a few NFL players who outshine their contemporaries.
Ohio State Offensive tackle Dwayne Jones is one of those huge individuals. stand up 6-foot-8 and weighs 374 poundsJones has used his massive size to dominate collegiate opponents. He has now found himself a potential early round selection in 2023 NFL Draft – someone who could easily be on the Kansas City Chiefs’ radar in the first or second round.
Since its size has been confirmed in NFL In early March, comparisons to other large processors (eg Orlando Brown JrAnd Trent Brown And Rob Havenstein) in flight. But while these comparisons are fair when based strictly on his size, they don’t really do him justice.
Let’s take a more detailed look:
Comparisons with other major interventions
Since he was the second-heaviest Combine player ever, the national narrative around Jones (understandably) focused on his size. But when you compare his 10-yard touchdowns on 40-yard dashes to those converted by other NFL players at 6-foot-8, you begin to understand how athletic Jones really is.
10 Yard Split Comparisons With Weight:
– Rob Havenstein 1.88 @ 321
– Trent Brown 1.89 @ 355
Down Jones 1.92 @ 374
Orlando Brown Jr. 2.0 @ 345
All players are listed at 6’8″– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 13, 2023
Don’t be fooled: tenths of a second (especially in a 10-yard division) is like miles in the NFL. But when you see Jones – The heaviest man in this group – By achieving similar numbers, you get a sense of his athleticism.
Of course… one of the players we compare Jones to is former Kansas City left fielder Orlando Brown Jr. Like Jones, he wasn’t fit in the center – so a mixture of planning help and solid training was needed. If the team drafted Jones, it would likely run into a somewhat similar situation—but with Jones’ athleticism (and performance). Record-breaking 89 has a wingspan of 1/2 inch) will have the potential to thrive.
Explosives are prohibited
This is a serious blast from Duane Jones’ stance to get to the second level. He cannot rest his head on the LB to complete the reach block, but he lifts it long enough to allow the RB to run freely to the goal line. pic.twitter.com/uFXi738cLm
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 12, 2023
The first thing that emerged from Jones’ film was his first move. Despite his size, he explodes out of his stance, showing tremendous body control in the open field.
I didn’t really get involved in comparing Dawand Jones to other big tackles just b/c sized. Tbh his ability to run in space is pretty wild. The dangling part is lined up wide but Jones reaches for it and strains to finish the play. He does not receive the seal, but he overcomes. pic.twitter.com/qr6jllt34B
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 11, 2023
Jones did a tremendous job getting the play started. He released the ball, reaching the second level at a large angle by opening his hips. He meets the fullback with a step, leading him to the sideline.
The edge defender reads the play well—and in fact does a good job starting to set the edge outward—but when he stops to prevent a run from expanding, he’s met with Jones’ full strength.
Larger wizards can have a hard time getting stuck in space – thus they are often seen as raiding north and south. But the Buckeyes’ out-of-area offense was used—along with many other forms of outside running plays—and Jones thrived in it.
pass protection
At Ohio State, Jones excelled at positioning rushing (or jumping) players off the line of scrimmage. These quick pass combinations allowed him to use his massive frame to overwhelm defenders – and shut them down early.
Running motion pass Dawand Jones sells the run and as he begins to settle into his pro pass, he grabs Edge’s shoulder and puts him on the ground. Tremendous upper body strength. pic.twitter.com/89NaTzRACM
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 12, 2023
When exposed to this running pass, Jones took two quick sets from the line of scrimmage, trying to connect with the defender quickly.
As the play progresses, he snaps into his pass protection – while the defender puts all his weight into trying to get Jones back up. This strategy is most commonly tried against Jones – and he has a great tackle: he uses a bad snatch move to throw the rim pusher to the ground, giving the quarterback a nice window to catch the pass.
Although he needs to work his traditional protection, Jones is no novice in the vertical protection to drive and catch. As the Buckeyes season progressed, teams attempted to quickly challenge Jones to the outside.
44 wants to dunk on Dawand Jones, but Jones aggressively connects with his inside shoulder and pushes it out of the pocket, not allowing the bow to bend. He could stay a little more square a little longer in his pro, but generally good rep for the fast rush. pic.twitter.com/FoIfkMUWLa
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) April 13, 2023
Here we see the edge defender aligning wide – and at the snap, trying to use speed to bend the arc against Jones.
At first, Jones did well. He shoots from his inside foot, propelling himself vertically into his pass group. When EDGE gets close to the quarterback’s depth, he uses a dunking and tearing method in order to flex the arc.
Although he has to shift his hips to the sideline—like tackles do to stay square on the line—Jones delivers a powerful jab to the defender’s inside shoulder, propelling him forward past the pocket.
bottom line
While Jones isn’t a player well-suited to the Chiefs’ attacking scheme – he is probably better suited to their heavy-action approach – he has the size, athleticism and technique to become a long-term player at right tackle.
His pass protection will need work. He must clean up missteps and improve his ability to block the rush – which will be difficult given his size. Lowering his weight into the 350-pound range will improve his game and his chance for a long and productive NFL career.
This draft contains only a few treats of the starting caliber. Jones has all the tools and experience to become one of them. If he fell into the hands of the chiefs at the age of 63, they should strongly consider taking him.