Browns Digest

Cleveland Browns Player Facing Major Make-or-Break Season

The third-year offensive lineman has some pressure on him in 2025.
Gavin Dorsey|
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) chats with defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at NFL minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) chats with defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at NFL minicamp, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal] | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Cleveland Browns

Dawand Jones is only entering his third season in 2025, but the 23-year-old could be facing a crucial point already in his young career.

Last season, Cleveland's offensive line allowed quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe to be sacked 66 times, the second-most in the NFL. The pressure is on the Browns up front, which is a big reason that Pro Football Focus said that 2025 is a make-or-break season for Jones.

"Jones played three games at [left tackle] last year before suffering a fractured fibula that ended his season," analyst Dalton Wasserman wrote on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, he earned a subpar 44.1 PFF overall grade across those three outings. Veteran Cornelius Lucas could fill in if Jones is either injured or ineffective again, but the Browns desperately need young talent to emerge on their offensive line, and Jones is the most likely incumbent candidate."

The Cleveland Browns selected Jones in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was quickly tasked with manning the starting right tackle position. Jones started nine of his 11 appearances in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury and he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

However, Jones struggled in his second season. The 6-foot-8, 374-pound tackle played in 10 games with eight starts, eventually going down with another injury that ended his year early. Jones stepped into the starting lineup after Jedrick Wills Jr. tore his MCL, and with Wills set to miss the entirety of 2025, Jones is likely in line for the starting left tackle job.

Jones is the Browns' only projected starting offensive lineman who will be under the age of 30 when the season starts. Lucas, who signed with Cleveland this offseason and was named by Wasserman as a potential competitor against Jones, turns 34 in July.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and assists in covering a handful of other teams in the On SI network, including the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Texans and Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.

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