Steelers should be drooling over Senior Bowl prospect Dawand Jones

The Senior Bowl has a number of highly-touted prospects, but Dawand Jones is just what the doctor ordered for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be looking to upgrade their offense during the 2023 offseason. After making some easy cuts and freeing up substantial salary cap space, some of this could be done via free agency. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that GMs Omar Khan and Andy Weidl won’t target offense in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Right now, the Steelers have their brass on hand for Senior Bowl week, and Mike Tomlin can be seen scoping out the offensive line group. There are a number of talented offensive linemen at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl, but one who has captured the attention of the National Media is offensive tackle, Dawand Jones.

Jones is quite the spectacle. He measured in at over 6’8” and a whopping 375 pounds at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. But that’s not the most impressive part. Jones’ 36 5/8” arms are freakish and his 89 1/2” wingspan is the longest ever measured at the Senior Bowl in over 70 years. Comparing it to players at the NFL Combine since 1999, Jones has the longest wingspan ever measured to enter the NFL.

These astounding size metrics already have plenty of scouts around the league enthralled by what he could offer. However, Jones coupled this with a thoroughly impressive first practice at the Senior Bowl — one in which he simply bullied high-profile pass rusher, Andre Carter II.

Steelers could target Dawand Jones in the 2023 NFL Draft

While I’m not convinced that this is the exact type of offensive lineman OL coach Pat Myer will be looking for on his team, Dawand Jones is a player who is impossible to ignore. He has already turned heads early in Senior Bowl week, and his film at Ohio State was pretty impressive.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has graded out as a top-19 offensive tackle in the nation among 610 qualifying players in each of the past two years. Considering the wide splits and pass-happy offense he was a part of at Ohio State, this is pretty impressive.

Moreover, we have seen players like this work out quite well in the NFL in recent years. Eagles OT Jordan Mailata was 6’8” and 346 pounds entering the league and didn’t test well in terms of his agility drills, yet he’s already established himself as a premier left tackle in the NFL. Orlando Brown Jr. is similar in this way. Despite testing as a horrible athlete, Brown has been excellent thanks in large part to his size (6’8”, 345 lbs) and length (35” arms).

Jones is likely a right tackle only in the NFL, but he has the potential to be one of the best in the league at his position. He moves very well for a man his size. Jones is a wall that defenders won’t be able to go through and he has the length to force athletic pass rushers way up the arc.

With Dan Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor both proving to be unspectacular in 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to consider a serious upgrade at the offensive tackle position, and Mike Tomlin should be salivating over a player like Dawand Jones.

Unfortunately, his stock could be rising fast, and there’s no guarantee that Pittsburgh could even take him with their top pick in the second round at this point. Regardless, Jones is a player who must be on the Steelers’ radar this April.