The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft has concluded, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have to be feeling great. They left the draft room on Thursday with a new offensive tackle, Broderick Jones. Jones is going to slide right into the starting five and be a great help to Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris. What involved a great trade-up from the Steelers, also helped out Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (8) congratulates Najee Harris (22) after his first touchdown pass on Sunday against the Buccaneers.
The Steelers traded up three spots with the Patriots to make sure they got their guy, also losing pick number 120 in the deal. This was a great move for Pittsburgh, who desperately needed tackle help. Jones, the Steelers' pick at 14, as well as Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Wright, and Peter Skoronski, were the four top-tier offensive tackles in the draft. With three gone by pick 11, Pittsburgh knew they needed to make a move if they wanted the last consensus first-rounder on the board.
ESPN
Steelers select Broderick Jones with the 14th overall pick.
In comes Belichick and the Patriots, who picked up the phone when the Steelers called. The Patriots wanted a cornerback, specifically Christian Gonzalez from Oregon. They knew he would still be on the board at number 17 if they traded back. The trade between Pittsburgh and New England greatly benefited both sides.
Bill Belichick after screwing the Jets last night pic.twitter.com/reH8xnaWHu
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 28, 2023
On top of New England selecting the cornerback they wanted and gaining an extra pick in the process, they also managed to hurt one of their division rivals. The New York Jets needed tackle help to keep their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, upright. Trading pick 14 to the Steelers made sure the Jets lost out on the top bunch of offensive linemen. Matt Groh, a personnel executive of the Patriots spoke sly about the Patriots move with NESN.
"“We keep tabs on all the teams, not just our division rivals,” Groh said. “With the trade that transpired here this week, the Jets going from right in front of us to right behind us certainly shifted things. Then for us to kind of jump right back behind them and give Pittsburgh the opportunity to come up and select a player who they selected, which when you make these trades you don’t know who the other team is coming up for. But again, we try to do our research and try to have a feeling as far as positionally what a team might be looking for. That’s Steve Cargile and his team really working hard on the team’s needs."
Come up and get him is what the Steelers did, taking Jones from the fingertips of the Jets. What looks like such a small trade-up on paper, was actually a huge move for Pittsburgh. With the large depth at cornerback in the draft, the Steelers will have their chance to take a highly talented defensive back past the first round.
“We’ve got all that posted right there in the draft room and try to be cognizant of what the teams are looking for," Groh continued. "So, maybe had an idea of what Pittsburgh was looking for. Certainly, didn’t know if that was going to be accurate. Certainly, didn’t know what player it was going to be. But there started to be a little bit of a run there on the tackles. That position group was thinning out. If you wanted one of those guys, you’d have to come up and get him.”
Matt Groh’s reaction when asked about the Steelers taking Broderick Jones right out from under the Jets noses speaks volumes pic.twitter.com/AbOZcSgPfp
— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton1) April 28, 2023
Steelers' New and Improved Offensive Line
After being very active in free agency by signing two offensive guards, drafting a tackle was one of Pittsburgh's top priorities. Trading ahead of the Jets ensured that Pittsburgh got one of their favorite players. Expect to see Jones take over at left tackle, with Chukwuma Okorafor taking over main duties on the other side. Okorafor has performed much better at RT compared to LT. Dan Moore Jr. looks to be the main depth piece behind Jones and Okorafor.
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
Steelers 1st round pick Broderick Jones in the 2023 National Championship.
The Steelers trading up and getting their franchise left tackle with their first pick was a great move for both sides involved. The offensive line will be much better in 2023, both in pass protection and the running game. Pittsburgh has made some quality moves over the last couple of months and taking Jones in the first round added to the list.
Do you like the Steelers picking Broderick Jones at pick number 14? Let us know in the comments below.
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