Seahawks reportedly bringing Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones in for a Top-30 visit

As part of the pre-draft process, NFL teams are allowed to bring (up to) 30 players to their facilities for interviews, meetings, and medical exams.

Last year’s Top-30 visits included CB Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, QB Desmond Ridder, OL Cole Strange, DE Boye Mafe, S Lewis Cine, and WRs Christian Watson, Dareke Young, and Romeo Doubs.

Obviously, the Seahawks drafted a couple of those players.

This year, the first player lined up for a Top-30 visit is Ohio State’s mammoth Right Tackle, Dawand Jones.

At 6-foot-8, 360 pounds, Jones is a mountain of a man. According to Sports Illustrated (and Field Yates), Jones is a ‘confirmed house’ with Combine-high measurements.

Those measurements make me wonder why the Seahawks are bringing him in for a Top-30 visit. I mean, I see the appeal, but . . .

We already have a starting Right Tackle!

And I can’t imagine the Seahawks are thinking about asking this mountain of a man to play Guard.

Of course, bringing a player in for a visit is a lot different than drafting them, but with only 30 visits allowed, it seems strange to just “burn” one, especially the first one, on a player that you have no intention of drafting.

Which makes me think that the Seahawks’ brain trust might be thinking outside the box a little bit and that maybe the thought is that Abe Lucas would move to guard if Dawand Jones joins the Seahawks on Draft Day.

Granted, Abe Lucas isn’t a small man either. He stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 315 pounds. But he’s a bit of a runt compared to Jones.

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Scouting Reports

Here are some highlights from various scouting reports on Dawand Jones:

The Draft Network

Jones is an absolute mauler in the run game. He’s a massive and powerful blocker that blasts open running lanes and he can be overwhelming for opponents in college. Jones engulfs opponents as a run blocker and puts them on skates. He has ideal block temperament, aggression, and tenacity.

Pro Football Network

Offensive linemen are already generally made in a lab, compared to the average human being. But Jones is the offensive lineman’s Frankenstein. The Ohio State OT has a certifiably massive frame, with an arguably generational mix of height, mass, and width. With this frame, he brings elite length with arms over 36″ long and a suffocating wingspan.

Jones’ overwhelming size has some drawbacks, but he’s not a liability from a mobility standpoint. He has good foot speed for his size and can quickly transfer weight on shuffles and carry rushers to the apex. He also flashes good burst off the snap and can loom through gaps with decent speed as a lateral mover.

The 33rd Team

Jones is a massive man with outstanding length to control the line of scrimmage. He really uses his awareness and instincts to gain advantages while his eyes work to keep him aware. He picks up stunts and games with ease and is very strong and powerful in the run game. He will shock people with his hands and can collapse the line of scrimmage.

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Combine Results

• 40-yard dash: 5.35 seconds
• 10-yard split: 1.92 seconds

Note: Other tests expected to be performed at Ohio State’s Pro Day.

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College Stats

(courtesy of PFF)

Career:

• 4 years (2019-2022)
• 855 pass block snaps (total)
• 4 sacks
• 1 hit
• 12 hurries
• 17 total pressures
• Pass blocking efficiency: 98.7%

2022:

• 372 pass block snaps
• 0 sacks
• 0 hits
• 4 hurries
• 4 total pressures
• Pass blocking efficiency: 99.4%
• PFF grades: 81.9 pass-block; 83.8 run-block; 83.3 overall