Locked in a position battle with incumbent starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Broderick Jones continues to do everything the coaching staff asks him to do in training camp.
Still rather raw overall and developing his toolbox at the position, Jones continues to get better and better each and every day, which has the Steelers excited for his future. That includes assistant GM Andy Weidl.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday in Latrobe, Weidl spoke highly of Jones, for whom the Steelers traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire, stating that the Georgia product continues to stack good days and is an “arrow-up guy” overall.
“The physical attributes he’s had, we saw that in the testing we saw on the tape. And I think the thing is he’s coming out every day and he’s working and he’s working to get better. And he’s seeking knowledge. He’s receptive to it,” Weidl said to reporters Wednesday, according to video via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on Twitter. “You see him working with Dan Moore every day and he’s just learning and he’s growing and he’s out there stacking days. It’s a natural progression and we’re watching him do it right now in front of our eyes. So, he’s an arrow-up guy, and we’re excited where he is heading.”
Stacking days, continuing to work and get better and being open to any and all knowledge he can acquire seems to be the common thought about Jones to this point in training camp.
Standout pass rusher Alex Highsmith stated Tuesday that he’s seen steady growth from Jones throughout camp. Right guard James Daniels stated earlier in the week that Jones is rather hungry and is working hard to earn everything coming his way.
Though the arrow is pointing up for Jones, like Weidl said, the rookie is still taking his lumps and learning on the job. Earlier in the week, as Steelers Depot’s own Alex Kozora noted, Jones is taking his lumps in practice, getting beat bad by star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward in one-on-ones while beating EDGE Toby Nduwke, a practice squad hopeful, on two reps.
It’s expected that a rookie with Jones’ resume coming out of Georgia — just 19 career games — would take his lumps early in his first NFL training camp, especially going against such a veteran defensive front that the Steelers have. The good news though is that Jones is taking it in stride and getting better each and every day.
That’s where the arrow-up comment from Weidl comes from. He’s learning, growing and adjusting every day on the field and in the classroom outside of practices. He’s soaking up the knowledge from Moore, offensive line coach Pat Meyer and key veterans in the trenches like Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, Chukwuma Okorafor and Daniels.
As he gets better, the belief that Jones will indeed unseat the incumbent Moore as the Day-One starter continues to strengthen, even though Moore, by many accounts, has looked improved going into his third year. Jones is certainly an arrow-up guy with all the tools. He’s progressing and growing right in front of everyone, and at a fast rate.
That rate of growth could see him on the field rather quickly as the starting left tackle for the Black and Gold in 2023.
