Raider Nation speaks: Dawand Jones over Luke Musgrave

The results are in from our latest Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft This or That series and Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones has defeated Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave. At the time of writing, Jones has about 71 percent of the vote so this one isn’t much of a contest as Raider Nation has spoken and wants to add a right tackle.

The Buckeye has elite size, measuring in at 6’8 1/4” and 374 pounds with over 36-inch arms. He’s a bulldozer as a run blocker and would allow the Raiders to slide Jermaine Eluemunor inside to guard.

Below are a few comments via our Silver and Black Pride community as well as some insights on Jones from a handful of well-respected draftniks.

Community Comments

• Objective_Raider: If it's between these two at 38, I'm going with the OT mauler. Besides needing to keep Jimmy upright so he can stay healthy for as long as possible, he’d also be great in the run game. Just helps the team in more areas than a TE would. But id still prefer defense over both
• BrotherJsaysYUCK: I’m going offensive line here. You’re going to get better value for the pick. I also doubt McD would target a TE who doesn’t block. I feel like he wants a guy who does both really well; excellent blocking, combined with solid seam route skills.
• Strange Brew: Since I must choose between the two, I believe Musgrave has the higher ceiling and could be the check-down receiver Garoppolo will look for. He is great on the seam routes and has good body control when going up for the ball. I fear Jones will eat his way out of the league before his next contract is due. The team cannot afford to waste a high pick on a guy that cannot be trusted to stay away from the Vegas buffets. My preference will be to go defense with the first 3-4 picks and look at the mid to later rounds for offense if that is the BPA based on their draft board. There are way to many holes to draft for position. They should go BPA with all of their picks and start building a foundation for this team.

Draftniks

• Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: A stellar football/basketball prospect at Indianapolis power Ben Davis High School, Jones — the longest player in the history of the Senior Bowl — shot better than 75 percent from the floor as a junior in high school. Per the Indianapolis Star, Jones was already 6-foot-1 by the seventh grade. He has long been in control of his massive, athletic frame. Jones is so big, his foot speed and general quickness are hardly ideal. But his understanding of how to use his length often makes the lack of speed irrelevant. How long can a man this big hold up injury-wise? Will he be fast enough? Will any of it matter because he’s so long? A right tackle only, there’s some risk with Jones, but possibly a lot of reward, too.
• Joe Marino, 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. Jones has exceptional length and he uses it effectively in pass protection where he does well to protect his edges and elongate rush lanes. Jones has the type of power in his hands where he frequently stuns opponents and his hands are not easily displaced. His grip strength is outstanding. Despite not having the most nimble feet, Jones is a patient pass blocker that competes to stay square and is deliberate about working his punch to keep rushers at bay.
• Brandon Thorn, Bleacher Report: Jones wins a lot of engagements with his length, but he shows marginal change-of-direction and recovery skills while being overly reliant on striking with heavy, two-hand strikes as a run-blocker. This leads to him leaning into contact and falling off blocks quickly against shifty defenders who can avoid his initial punch. Jones markedly improved his patience, footwork and use of hands in pass protection this past season compared to 2021. Due to his size and ability to consistently fire off the ball on time, he is best using jump sets on RPOs and play action to cover up and blot out rushers.
• Lance Zierlein, NFL Media: Massive right tackle with rare length but limited athleticism that impacts his consistency. Defenders accustomed to winning with power will need to switch up their approach against Jones. His physical traits help cover up some of his athletic deficiencies, while his power can be better unleashed with accurate hand strikes and a run scheme tailored to what he does best. The former high school basketball standout has decent slide quickness in protection but is unable to find his feet when attempting to match inside counters or stall out gaming fronts. Jones is a work in progress with holes that will have to be covered up with scheme help, but he should become a starting right tackle if he maintains the playing weight his team desires.