What Dawand Jones’ season-ending injury means for Browns offensive line

Dawand Jones is out for the year with a knee injury. Here's what that means for the rest of the Cleveland Browns offensive line in the short and long term.

Jul 28, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns lost starting offensive tackle Dawand Jones in the first quarter of Week 3’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

On Monday afternoon, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that the injury would require knee surgery which will end Jones’ season.

Jones has now had three straight seasons of knee injuries and the Browns will not be able to count on him being a piece of the offensive line in the future. 

After a promising rookie season, the Browns moved Jones to the left side of their offensive line. He regressed in 2024, starting eight games before a season-ending injury. Now, just three weeks into the 2025 campaign, Jones is out again. 

The Browns need right tackle Jack Conklin to step up. They signed the former All-Pro tackle to a four-year contract extension worth $60 million in 2022, but he has not been very available for the team. Since the NFL moved their schedule to 17 games in 2021, Conklin has not been able to appear in every game for the Browns. He started 15 games in 2020, seven games in 2021, 14 games in 2022, one game in 2023 and 12 games last year.

Conklin injured his elbow in Cleveland’s Week 1 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals and has been unable to suit up since. But now, the Browns are going to need him to get healthy and back on the field.

The Browns will also look to veteran swing tackle Cornelius Lucas to fill some gaps. The 12-year veteran has predominantly served as a backup, but his 56 career starts will instantly make him the most seasoned tackle on this roster.

Cleveland’s other option at tackle are KT Leveston, who the team traded a future seventh-round draft pick for right before rosters were cut down following the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. 

Leveston is technically a rookie seeing his first action this season, as the seventh-round pick spent all of last season on the Rams’ injured reserve.

The long-term view of this offensive line is scary, as they’re an aging, expensive group. 

Starting left guard Joel Bitonio is Cleveland’s longest tenured player, but he’s a free agent who could very well retire. Starting right guard Wyatt Teller is a free agent as well, but he will turn 31 years old by the end of this season.Starting center Ethan Pocic is a free agent as well.

For now, the Browns have a mix of veteran depth and young talent to replace Jones. But they’ll need Conklin healthy to cement the tackle position. Looking forward, the Browns could be on the market for some new, younger, cheaper offensive line help.