The Cleveland Browns were patient in the 2023 NFL draft and it has really paid off. Cleveland snatched up former Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones in the fourth round and he has easily been the best rookie offensive tackle in preseason.
How good has he been? Jones has played 111 pass-blocking snaps over the course of three games and hasn’t allowed a sack or even a quarterback hit. Jones has been playing exclusively at right tackle but the Browns are planning to try him on the left after such a strong performance. The Browns currently have Jedrick Willis listed as the starting left tackle and Jack Conklin on the right.
Most draft pundits, myself included had a much higher grade on Jones than the NFL seemed to. The vast majority of mock drafts had Jones coming off the board in the second round with some brave souls pushing him up into the late first round. The way Jones has played, those pundits are looking pretty smart right now.
