The Pittsburgh Steelers made a huge upgrade to their offensive line for the 2023 season when they signed Eagles offensive guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency. Pittsburgh then made an investment in its long-term future by drafting Georgia tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Thursday, Seumalo joined The Drive with Matt & Dale on Steelers Nation Radio and raved about Jones’ physical gifts.
“Broderick’s got all the tools and athleticism in the world,” said Seumalo.
Despite Jones having all the tools to be a good player Seumalo said it is hard for a rookie offensive lineman to come in and excel right away. Offensive line positions are very hard to play, and offensive line coach Pat Meyer’s system certainly isn’t the easiest to master.
When talking about Meyer’s system Seumalo mentioned that Jones will need to play under control and be precise with his punches, but also know when he can get a little more “reckless.” But, Seumalo said, Jones’ aggressiveness certainly won’t be a problem.
“He’s definitely an aggressive guy and sometimes you kind of have to teach guys how to hone that aggression and kind of foster it into a proper angle on a run block or using your hands a certain way,” Seumalo said. “But he’s got all the tools so I’m excited to see him grow.”
For Jones this is going to be the biggest part of his growth throughout OTAs, minicamp, and training camp. If he wants to beat out Dan Moore Jr. for the starting left tackle position, he will have to get better technically. The good news is that Jones is a raw and young player who didn’t have too many starts at left tackle in college and is only 22 years old, so it isn’t like he is hitting his ceiling anytime soon.
Meyer got a lot out of the offensive line group last season and many of the players, like the aforementioned Moore, showed huge improvement by the end of the season. Jones’ is ceiling is way higher than Moore’s so if he works his behind off and practices Meyer’s techniques he should end up progressing to a very good player.
The question will be does he open the season as a starter? As Seumalo said, it isn’t easy for a rookie to start right away, and Moore isn’t going to give up his job easily. It will certainly be something to monitor come training camp and preseason games, but when Seumalo says he is excited to watch Jones grow, we all should be listening.
