Steelers' Broderick Jones Admits He's Still Adapting To Playing Left Tackle

When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to select Broderick Jones with the 14th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they were excited about adding a talent who could potentially help improve their offensive line. However, Jones is entering his third year in the NFL and has had a very up-and-down career thus far. Year 3 could prove to be the breakout year Steelers fans have been waiting for with Jones however, as it will be his first NFL season in which he will be playing the position full-time he played in college, left tackle. 

While Jones has not had the best start to his career, it may not be all his fault. The Steelers have a recent history of not playing their first-round picks immediately. Just look at last season with Troy Fautanu, who saw just over 50 snaps in regular season action before suffering a season-ending injury. In Jones' first two years, he saw the majority of his playing time at right tackle, which he did not have much experience with. This could be a straightforward explanation as to why he struggled at times throughout his first two seasons in Pittsburgh. 

After a mandatory minicamp practice last week, Jones opened up to the media about his struggles with moving positions entering his third year.

"I think it went as good as it could go. You know, with everything going on with me moving back to LT from RT, I still got a couple more weeks to hone in on my skills and continue to develop on the left side and come in ready for training camp," Jones explained. "If I'm being honest, I think I probably do need a couple more weeks. Not saying I'd be bad, but just for me. Just to feel like I'm in the mindset to play an actual game versus somebody else other than going against Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig."

For Jones, it was an honest reflection on how difficult switching positions in the NFL can be. While most of his experience in college was on the left side, he has played the last several years on the right side. For Jones to admit just how big of a change it has been for him shows that he has been working to get back to the level of comfort he had at the position in college.  

This upcoming season will be crucial for Jones, who needs to show that he is capable of putting together a consistent season at the NFL level. Especially for a first-round pick like Jones, years three and four are critical in a team's assessment of whether or not to pick up the player's fifth-year option. With Jones at his natural position, he will now protect Aaron Rodgers' blindside and be key in the Steelers' offensive success this season. 

Steelers Seem To Have Finally Fixed Their Offensive Line

Over the last four seasons plus, the Steelers have struggled to put together a consistent offensive line. While the offense as a whole has struggled during this time, the line lingered as a key issue that needed to be addressed. After numerous years of spending high-end draft picks on players and spending big in free agency, this seems to be the year that the Steelers have fixed their offensive line. 

Although both tackles are unproven to this point, both Jones and Fautanu seem to be getting positive reviews coming out of minicamp, whether it be for being back in their native position, or for their stellar play in what little time we saw them on the practice field. The Steelers also hit on several starters in the 2024 NFL Draft. Zach Frazier had a phenomenal rookie season at center for Pittsburgh and will look to continue to anchor down the middle of that line. Mason McCormick was a pleasant surprise as a day-three pick for Pittsburgh too. Isaac Seumalo has been a solid free agent acquisition just a few years ago and figures to have another solid season. 

Despite a new set of challenges for this line this season with protecting Rodgers, everything seems to be trending in the right direction as training camp begins within a few weeks. 

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