Eric Mangini predicts Dawand Jones to be Browns breakout player in 2023

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini had some interesting things to say about his old team ahead of the 2023 season, and most fans will be fully behind his comments.

We all know that this season and beyond all hinge on the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who Mangini believes is in the "best spot" to succeed.

The most surprising thing Mangini said was his prediction of rookie offensive lineman Dawand Jones being the Browns breakout player this year.

Jones was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft and many fans were pleasantly surprised as he played his college ball at Ohio State. He's a mammoth of a human being, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 374 pounds.

Mangini cites that Jones has a lot of veteran guys paired around him and has one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL in Bill Callahan. The right situation will always be paramount to a rookie's success, and that is no different in this case.

Injuries have played a part in the offensive line of Cleveland for years and Mangini believes that if guys go down, Jones could get an opportunity to play and potentially shine.

While it is only preseason and there is still a lot of work to do, Jones was dominant in his NFL debut in the Hall of Fame Game against the New York Jets.

He played all 74 offensive snaps and in 35 pass-blocking reps, he didn't allow a single pressure. If that is how he is going to play, he could see the field a lot sooner than expected.

Things didn't look promising for Jones when he entered rookie minicamp as his conditioning was a major concern. However, he cited that improving his diet, getting reps in practice, and the use of the team's altitude room have helped in this area of his game and it showed by playing all 74 snaps.

Time will ultimately tell whether or not Jones will succeed in the NFL, but after one preseason game, and the endorsement of Mangini, fans should be encouraged by the potential of Jones.