Coming from The University of Georgia, OT Broderick Jones is used to playing with a ton of talent alongside him as well as across from him in practice. Facing the likes of Jalen Carter, Travon Walker, Nolan Smith, and Jordan Davis on a daily basis helped Jones become the player he is today: the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick, after a trade up with the New England Patriots, at #14 overall.
As he spoke to the Pittsburgh media, Jones answered several questions about going to the Steel City. When asked about the players he’d be blocking for in Pittsburgh, Jones stayed close to home, referencing his new teammates the same way he viewed his teammates at the University of Georgia.
“Najee’s a dawg,” Jones said, according to Will Graves of the Associated Press. Kenny Pickett is a dawg. That’s all Pittsburgh is.”
Georgia had a ton of “dawgs” on their roster the last two seasons, being the two-time defending national Champion. The Steelers added one of Jones’ former teammates last year when they drafted WR George Pickens in the second round. Jones complimented Pittsburgh’s previous two first-round selections, calling RB Najee Harris and Kenny Pickett dawgs as well. Harris and Pickett are indeed gritty, tough football players who lead by example on the field as well as in the locker room, definitely fitting the description of dawgs.
Pittsburgh prides itself on being a tough, physical, and blue-collar football team. That was established in the ’70s with the Steel Curtain and followed by Blitzburgh in the ’90s, the early 2000s team led by Jerome Bettis and Joey Porter, and the 2008 team led by Ben Roethlisberger, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu and others.
The Steelers have several players that fit that mold on their roster including, Pickett and Harris as well as Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Selecting a nasty, physical offensive lineman like Jones is another step in the right direction.
