Steelers Earn High Grades From CBS Sports For Trading Up For Georgia Star Broderick Jones At 14

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved up three spots on Thursday night to take Broderick Jones, an offensive tackle from the University of Georgia. Now that the dust had settled a bit, it is time to weigh the pros and cons of Jones and look at the grade given to that selection by CBS Sports. 

Originally the Steelers were slotted to pick in the 17th spot. They traded the New England Patriots their 17th pick and the 120th pick to move up to their spot at 14 to get the tackle they wanted. 

The Steelers have spent a good chunk of the offseason working on revamping an offensive line that was one of the worst in the league just two seasons ago. Now they have signed former Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo, Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Le'Raven Clark, and New York Jets guard Nate Herbig. 

It is clearly a sign that the Steelers are looking to protect their young quarterback, Kenny Pickett. While Seumalo seems almost a lock to start at left guard, Herbig and Clark will provide much-needed depth along with Chukwuma Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr. 

During the 2022 season, the Steelers were very lucky to have their somewhat mismatched bunch of guys coalesce to form a serviceable offensive line that improved dramatically as the season went on. They benefited from the fact that the unit remained intact, while they had some bumps and bruises, they played every game together. 

However, no team can rely on every player staying healthy all season, injuries are a normal part of football. The Steelers were wise to continue to build "in the trenches" in the draft versus focusing on splash players as they have in the past. 

The Steelers Add A Big Board To Their "Pickett Fence" with Jones

Jones is a tremendous physical specimen, at 6-foot-4 and roughly 310 lbs. During his time with the Bulldogs, he played in two National Championships, contributing to both wins. He started all 15 games last season and was an Associated Press All-SEC First-Team selection. He allowed zero sacks on 449 pass-block snaps in 2022. 

Brian DeArdo from CBS Sports says that his "impressive athleticism and prowess as a finisher" are what makes him stand apart from the others in this class. While Jones is young, only 21, he has enough natural strength and talent to warrant that first-round pick. 

He started only 4 games in 2021, which gives him 19 total college starts, however, you saw a major improvement in his technique from that season to last season. He has the potential to have a long and very productive NFL career, but he needs to continue to improve as the defenses in the NFL are vastly better than any he encountered at Georgia. 

One criticism of him is that he relies on his natural strength instead of just technique. Now he will go up against defenders as strong as or stronger than he is. This means that he needs to be receptive to the conditioning and coaching at this higher level. 

Jones is quite agile despite his size. While he is not setting any speed records, for a tackle he ran a respectable 4.97 in the 40-yard dash and had a nine-foot broad job and a 30-inch vertical.  

DeArdo gives the Steelers a grade of a B+ for the Jones selection. Fellow CBS writer, Cody Benjamin, gives them an A saying that Jones fills a critical need. 

"Nothing is more important in Pittsburgh than protecting Kenny Pickett as the QB looks to make a leap in 2023. And the Steelers secured one of the most physically talented blockers in the draft by moving up three spots for Jones. The tackle prospect may be raw, but his special athleticism could make him a long-time left tackle for Steel City. Better yet, the value of the pick swap checks out in their favor."

What do you think about CBS' draft grade for the Steelers B+ to an A? Where do you grade the move-up and selection? Are you glad we took Jones? Click to comment below.

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