Two years after drafting him, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally have Broderick Jones entrenched at left tackle, as they originally envisioned. For his first two years, he ended up stuck on the right side, partly due to Dan Moore Jr’s inability to play there. Going into Year 3, however, he has everything set in front of him. It’s now on him to take advantage of the opportunity, and his teammates see the difference.
“He seems to be more comfortable at left”, C Zach Frazier said of Broderick Jones yesterday, via Pittsburgh’s DSEN. “I think he played there in college. Hopefully, that feels more like home for him”. He added that Jones also looks like he dropped weight, which Jones confirmed previously.
The Steelers traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select Broderick Jones out of Georgia. They knew he lacked experience when they drafted him, and that he would take time to develop. Going into Year 3, however, they need everything to start coming together—and so does he.
While he is not direct about it, even Jones admitted that moving to left tackle could be a boost for him. He did not look great last season at right tackle, but the uncertainty of never knowing for sure where he would play probably didn’t help, either.
For what it’s worth, the Steelers’ defensive edge rushers are noticing Broderick Jones at left tackle, too. Earlier this week, third-year Nick Herbig, part of the same draft class, called him a “natural left tackle”. Yesterday, Alex Highsmith also shared similar sentiments, saying “he’s definitely comfortable there” and expressed hope of him “taking a big leap and holding it down for us”.
Of course, we’re only in the first week of OTAs, which doesn’t offer much on which to evaluate offensive linemen. But those who are able to attend parts of practice observe a more agile Broderick Jones. That was one of his defining traits coming out of college, and he has dropped significant weight this offseason.
One hopes, and this isn’t the first time I’ve made this comparison, Jones sees a similar career trajectory as Marcus Gilbert. A former second-round draft pick, Gilbert took a couple years in the league to fully grasp the professionalism required. Once he locked in, he steadily improved and rose to a Pro Bowl-worthy level of play.
For the first time in his career, Broderick Jones enters an offseason knowing exactly what his role is and where. That stability should help pave the way for steady progress as he moves into the most pivotal season of his career. After this season, the Steelers have to determine whether they want to pick up his fifth-year option.
If he continues to perform as he has the past two years, they won’t. Even if they didn’t, that doesn’t mean the end of the road. But I the Steelers pick up Jones’ option, that clearly sets the table for his future. To reach that point, he needs to lock in and show he can play at a level deserving of that.
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