Browns Fourth Round Draft Pick Dawand Jones Told NFL Teams His Real Dream Was To Play In NBA

The Cleveland Browns haven't had a stellar reputation when it comes to building a winning franchise through the NFL Draft, but most experts gave them a solid grade coming out of last weekend.

There was one major curveball, though, and it came in the fourth round when Cleveland selected Ohio State offensive tackle with the 111th overall pick.

A large part of Jones’ success stems from his ridiculous athleticism. He stands 6-foot-8, 364 pounds (down more than 10 pounds from last season) and moves like no man his size should. He certainly fits the prototype when it comes to finding a tackle that can thrive against the brutal pass rushers he will see on a weekly basis.

There was actually a point last season Jones was too big to fit into his helmet which made for a comical display, although is was probably uncomfortable for him.

As NFL.com's Lance Zierlein so eloquently put it, Jones is a, "human mountain requiring long hikes to navigate." Jones fell a bit farther in the draft than many anticipated, and some thought he coeuld be a first-round pick.

As it turns out, he didn't exactly dominate the pre-draft process.

According to SI.com, Jones' pre-draft went "as sideways as possible." There are questions about his weight, and apparently about his handling of the Senior Bowl and pro day.

The biggest shocker was a report that stated Jones actually told NFL teams throughout the interview process his dream was to play in the NBA, not the NFL.

In all fairness, the big man can ball on the hardwood.

In today's day in age, NFL talent evaluators don't take a statement of this magnitude lightly, yet the Cleveland brass saw past the red flags and selected the former Ohio State star anyway.

Jones took to twitter to refute all of the negatives that were reported, but now all he can do is arrive in Cleveland and prove himself as the player the Browns took a chance on.

If his college numbers are a glimpse into the future, there shouldn't be any issues when it comes to the former Buckeye putting together a solid NFL career.

Jones was a two-time All-Big Ten player that allowed zero sacks and five pressures in 394 pass-block snaps last season. He started 12 games at right tackle in 2022, and was a Second Team AP All-American.

Only time will tell. Worst case? It may be a long shot, but those hoops clips are pretty legit. For now, he has a fantastic thing going and will hopefully put everything into his new gig with the Cleveland Browns.