Cleveland Browns Legends Explain Why Dawand Jones Can't Be Counted Out

The Cleveland Browns still have a few questions left to answer with one month to go before the 2026 NFL Draft.

The most important question still unresolved involves their offensive line. While the front office has worked to upgrade the front five with several free-agent additions, there remains one spot up front that still needs to be addressed.

Their left tackle situation remains unresolved, and protecting the quarterback’s blind side should be one of their top priorities if they want sustained success on offense.

Tackle Dawand Jones has spent time as the Browns’ left tackle, but an injury hampered his play and ultimately cost him his starting role.

The general consensus is that the Browns will draft an offensive lineman with one of their first-round picks in April’s NFL Draft. But recent comments from two Browns legends have sparked questions about whether a former starter could return to the left tackle spot in 2026.

Here’s what Hanford Dixon and Phil Taylor had to say in an interview on BIGPLAY's The Top Dawgs Show.

Do you think Dawand Jones will be a starter this season? #DawgPound

"The talent is there. I think he can takeover and be starting on the offensive line."

- @HanfordDixon29 pic.twitter.com/qbcoiFgCrd
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) March 19, 2026

Dixon and Taylor’s Comments on Dawand Jones

Former Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon had high praise for Jones. “I have a lot of respect for him—how can you not?” Dixon said.

“I think the talent is there, I really do. … I think he can take over and be a starter on the offensive line.”

Phil Taylor, a former Browns defensive tackle, backed up Dixon’s strong words about Jones. “I feel like (coach Warhop) will get those guys right—it’s up to them,” Taylor said. “Dawand's hitting his rehab well, and I feel like he’ll still have that starting spot.”

Can we rely on Dawand Jones to make an impact? #DawgPound

"Dawand's hitting that rehab good and he'll get that starting spot."

- @PhilTaylor98 pic.twitter.com/BRQW1fSU6P
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) March 22, 2026

“(Jones) played well under Callahan—we’ll see how coach Warhop does things,” Taylor said.

“When I was here, Warhop was here, and we had one of the best offensive lines in the league.”

Each comment from these two Browns legends bolsters Jones’ case to be Cleveland’s Week One starter. The question remains whether he can return to the pre-injury form fans saw before his play declined.

How Jones Can Earn The Starting Left Tackle Job

Jones had an up-and-down career with the Browns in his first three seasons, earning the starting job in 2023 as a rookie. His performance over nine starts earned him PFWA All-Rookie honors and helped lead the Browns to the playoffs.

He entered the 2024 season with high expectations and eventually moved from right tackle to left tackle, replacing former first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. after poor play on the left side.

Jones slid into the starting left tackle role for Wills with no problem, putting together solid starts and showing promise despite his limited experience on that side of the line. Heading into 2025, Jones was their Day 1 starter, but a season-ending LCL tear sidelined him and sparked questions for this upcoming season.

The Browns could add to their offensive line in the draft—specifically at left tackle—opposite newly acquired right tackle Tytus Howard from the Houston Texans. Whether Cleveland selects a tackle at No. 6 or No. 24 overall, Jones will have plenty of ground to make up in training camp to win the job.

Jones stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 370-plus pounds—more than ideal for an offensive lineman tasked with blocking some of the league’s best pass rushers.

If he can improve his agility while meshing with his new offensive line teammates, there’s no reason Jones can’t be their starting left tackle in 2026.