Jacksonville Jaguars must consider this Dawand Jones potential red flag in the Draft
![Mar 5, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones (OL26) during the NFL Mar 5, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones (OL26) during the NFL](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4800,h_2700,x_0,y_94/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01gx1ezjm5mnskmttgje.jpg)
The Jacksonville Jaguars could take several different routes in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Even though cornerback is arguably their biggest need, they could also take a pass rusher or an offensive tackle. And if they're thinking about targeting Ohio State's Dawand Jones, they must take a potential red flag into account.
Jones got rave reviews for his outstanding performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, which is why he opted not to work out at Ohio State's Pro Day. Although this doesn't seem like a cause for concern at first, former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, now with the 33rd Team, brought up what could turn out to be a valid question.
"Dawand Jones, the biggest disappointment at the Ohio State Pro Day was that he didn't weigh in", Spielman said. "He weighed in at the Senior Bowl, he weighed in at the combine at the 370 [pound] range.
"But when everyone was down in that Pro Day was the first time that a player I can remember refused to weigh in because of his own choice. And when that happens at a pro day, then you put a red flag up on him, is he weighing 400 pounds? Is that why he's not stepping on a sale? Understand that he's a big man and the other thing that was a little disappointing is that he did not do any drill or work with any of the position coaches at Ohio State Pro Day", Spielman said.
Jones said he didn't feel like he needed to weigh at his pro day and noted that he had already proven what he needed to. While Spielman's concerns are valid, he's taking a guess on why the 2021 Third-Team All-Big 10 didn't want to work out. The fact that barring something unexpected, Jones can't raise his draft stock much more.
A three-star recruit out of high school, Jones is one of the top offensive tackle prospects in this year's class. Having started at right tackle for the Buckeyes the last two seasons, he could be an ideal replacement for Jawaan Taylor, who signed a four-year deal worth $84 million with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will do due diligence on Dawand Taylor ahead of the draft
It's possible that some teams, just like Spielman, are turned off by Jones' decision to skip the workouts at his pro day. On the other hand, other clubs might feel like they've already seen enough of Jones at the combine and may think that partaking in drills yet again is unnecessary.
Either way, the Jaguars' brass won't rush to take Jones off their big board. Instead, they'll do due diligence and weigh in (no pun intended) the pros and cons of potentially drafting the Indiana native.
After all, Jones shined at the scouting combine and one look at his take will show that he routinely dominated his opponents at Ohio State. Just like any other prospect, the mammoth right tackle has his own set of pros and cons, and it's up to the Jaguars' scouting department to decide if he would be a fit on their offensive line.
Keep in mind that there might be other offensive line prospects available for the Jags at No. 24. Darnell Wright (Tennessee), along with Anton Harrison (Oklahoma) are two other players the team's brass could target in the first round, so even if they rule out taking Jones, they'll have a wide array of choices.
Concerns about Jones' weight shouldn't be ruled out but that shouldn't deter the Jacksonville Jaguars from drafting him if they think he came come in and contribute.
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