With LT Dan Moore Jr. expected to miss this week against the Baltimore Ravens with a knee injury, it sets up rookie OT Broderick Jones to get his first start of his NFL career against Pittsburgh’s hated division rival.
Jones got thrown into the fire last week against the Houston Texans, taking Moore’s place after he left the game early with the injury. It was a shaky first outing for Jones who managed to represent himself well as a run blocker but was inconsistent in pass protection, allowing DE Jonathan Greenard to hit QB Kenny Pickett multiple times, including the sack that Pickett ended up injuring his knee on.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Pickett stated that last Sunday’s results don’t waver his belief in the young offensive tackle, believing that he can be a great player in this league and that he will do everything he can to make Jones feel comfortable in his first NFL start against Baltimore.
“Yeah, a ton of confidence in [Broderick Jones],” Pickett said to the media Wednesday on video from The Steelers’ YouTube channel. “I love the way he prepares; love the way he works. Super talented guy, young guy, and I’m not expecting him to be perfect. He shouldn’t expect to be perfect either. So, you know, I can alleviate that stress for him by telling him that right now and having him just go out there, play hard and take it one play at a time.
“He shows up ready to work and he’s got a ton of talent, so, you know, it’s there. He’s just gotta put it together and we’re gonna help him do that.”
Jones definitely has the talent to be a quality starting left tackle in the NFL. That’s the reason why Pittsburgh felt comfortable trading up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select him 14th overall. Going back through the film on Jones against the Texans, you see him struggle early on against Greenard and the pass rush, but his play did improve as the game wore on outside of the sack where Pickett got hurt, but the blame of the sack arguably falls just as much on Pickett’s shoulders as it does on Jones.
Jones also helped spring several big runs Sunday in Houston, showing his aggressiveness and athleticism as a run blocker. He will face a stiff test as the Baltimore Ravens are one of the better run defenses in the league, but with Pickett already dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, Jones will be relied on to help get the running game going to take pressure off Pickett while also protecting his blindside against the Ravens’ pass rush. He’ll have a lot of weight on his shoulders in his first professional start, but C Mason Cole told the media that’s what comes with being a highly-drafted player in the National Football League.
“I don’t think there’s ever a good or a bad time,” Cole said regarding Jones getting the start to the media on video from Steelers.com. “It’s just the circumstances that he’s in and you draft someone high that early and you’re on this active roster. When it’s your time to step up, that’s expected of you.”
