After a solid first outing in his first start at right tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Broderick Jones confirmed to reporters today that he’s been working with the ones in practice, per Chris Adamski of TribLive.
He replaced OT Chukwuma Okorafor due to Okorafor being benched due to something he said during a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Eight. Okorafor said he thought that Jones would again start this week, and that seems to be the case given that Jones is working with the starters in practice.
While Okorafor and Jones are listed as co-starters at right tackle, the Steelers ran the ball they best they have all season with 166 total yards on the ground against Tennessee, and in pass protection, QB Kenny Pickett did not get sacked.
“My pass pro was pretty solid for me not being able to get that much practice at the right side,” Jones told reporters via 93.7 The Fan.
It was one of the best all-around performances by the offensive line this season, so it makes sense to keep the unit together against the Packers on Sunday.
Jones is a better run blocker than Okorafor, which could be important as the Steelers look to get their running game into gear in the second half of the season in back-to-back years. For Okorafor, it’s a tough break but it goes to show that everything you do as a football player while representing an organization has a stake in how much you’re going to play. For Jones, it’s a good opportunity to prove why Pittsburgh drafted him in the first round as he looks to come in and revitalize an offensive line that has been spotty at times this year.
It’s a little bit of a surprise that Jones’ first sustained opportunity is coming at right tackle, given that he played all of 34 snaps at the position in college. He was drafted with the expectation being that he’d play left tackle, but the Steelers are clearly fine with Dan Moore Jr.’s work on the left side, and Mike Tomlin said that Jones is a much better right tackle than Moore is.
Jones’ athleticism is one aspect of his game that will be beneficial as Pittsburgh looks to keep the run game going, as his ability to quickly climb to the second level can help the Steelers break off bigger gains. We’ll see if Jones taking over at right tackle can continue to elevate the offensive line, but there’s no doubt that the early returns are positive.
