Broderick Jones
Broderick Jones
Broderick Jones was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick in 2023, but he hasn’t panned out as well as the organization hoped. Jones has struggled to develop, and he suffered a serious neck injury that ended his season early last year. That injury left Jones’ future in doubt, so the Steelers drafted another first-round tackle this offseason.
However, Jones is healthy now, and former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex was encouraged by what he saw from Jones in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game. He even gave him the highest grade of any Steelers offensive lineman in that game.
“He played some left tackle and he played some right tackle,” Essex said Monday on his Snap Count podcast. “I thought he did really well… He still needs to get that punch a little tighter.
“You can tell he got a little stronger in his lower body, but he still needs to get a lot stronger in his lower body. All in all, I thought he played really well… He put some good tape out there, not only for the Steelers, but for any potential trades out there. Because I think he deserves to start somewhere if he keeps on improving the way he’s improving.”
Jones got more work than any other offensive player in the Steelers’ game against the Green Bay Packers. He played 49 total snaps on offense.
That was a little surprising to see considering Jones is a veteran. Usually, younger players are on the field during the late stages of preseason games. This is Jones’ fourth season, and he has 38 starts under his belt.
However, he acknowledged that he’s still knocking the rust off after his injury last year. Neck injuries can be serious, so Jones had to be very careful. That also resulted in him losing weight, which he’s still trying to add back. Couple that with the injuries along the Steelers’ offensive line, and it makes a little more sense why Jones played so much.
Still, Jones didn’t work with the Steelers’ starters, so he faced a lot of the Packers’ backups. He’s expected to play well against them. However, Essex thinks that Jones could see an increased role in the Steelers’ preseason game this week.
“Broderick might’ve earned himself some first-team reps this week if Max Iheanachor can’t go.”
Mike McCarthy already stated that it’s unlikely that Iheanachor will be healthy enough to suit up this week. Dylan Cook is currently the starting right tackle, but he had a shaky performance last week.
That lends a little more credence to Essex’s suggestion that Jones could see some time with the starters this week. That would be a better test for him.
If the Steelers feel as good about Jones’ performance last week as Essex does, maybe he’ll get some time with the starters against the Jets. If not, then perhaps another strong performance against backups could earn him more reps in the preseason finale.