Pittsburgh Steelers OT Broderick Jones has excelled as a run blocker since taking over as the team’s starting right tackle ahead of Week Nine. Jones has propelled Pittsburgh’s run game to back-to-back games with over 160 yards on the ground, and QB Kenny Pickett has been sacked just once over the last two weeks. Yet, CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards isn’t high on Jones’ performance thus far, ranking him No. 19 in performance among the 31 first-round picks in 2021.
“Jones has a 9.5% beaten percentage, according to TruMedia, which measures how often a lineman is beaten in pass protection. It is the second-highest rate in the league. Jones was a reserve through the first quarter of the season but has now started two consecutive games. Pittsburgh’s run game has come along lately,” Edwards writes.
Jones has only started three games this season, one at left tackle and two at right tackle, so to argue his beaten percentage being the second-highest in the league as a negative is fine, but the sample size needs to be taken into account. Jones also allowed just one pressure against the Green Bay Packers and OLB Rashan Gary in Week 10.
Both PFF and CBS agree that Jones is the second-best first-round offensive tackle thus far, as both have him ranked below Chicago Bears OT Darnell Wright. Jones has helped Pittsburgh’s offense round into form and discover an identity as they’ve become a team that’s leaned on their run game to beat opponents. Despite Pickett struggling, Pittsburgh has won both of the games that Jones has been in the lineup. Those wins were largely due to the success of the offensive line as a whole and both RBs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris rounding into form.
We’ll see if Jones can continue to build on his performance from the first two games, and if the run game continues to flourish, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones rises in the rankings. Edwards did note that spots 14-23 were very close in his rankings, so if Jones can keep stringing good performances together, there’s little doubt he’ll be more highly regarded in lists such as these by the end of the season.
But it really doesn’t matter, as the Steelers and Jones are surely pleased with how he’s played thus far. As long as the team keeps winning, no one will care how he’s ranked among other first-round picks at this juncture.
