He might still be having some issues in pass protection, but there is no denying the impact that Pittsburgh Steelers rookie right tackle Broderick Jones has as a run blocker.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup in Week Nine of the season on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans, Jones has been an impactful run blocker. Adding an edge to the Steelers’ run game, he has helped Pittsburgh establish a consistent run game in the last two months.
On Sunday in Seattle, that again the case. The Steelers ran roughshod over the Seahawks, to the tune of 202 yards and three touchdowns, imposing their will and bullying the Seahawks at the point of attack throughout their 30-23 win.
That performance marked one of Jones’ better ones of the season from a Pro Football Focus grades perspective. In the win over Seattle, Jones graded out at 70.9 and earned quite a bit of praise from PFF in the process, one week after being criticized from a pass-blocking standpoint.
“Pittsburgh dominated on the ground this week, and Jones certainly contributed to the cause. His 70.7 run-blocking grade led all Steelers offensive linemen. He paved the way for Najee Harris’ first touchdown run and, on a different occasion, pancaked Julian Love as a puller in space,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman writes regarding Jones, who remains the outlet’s second-highest graded rookie offensive tackle in the NFL. “Jones is, at times, an imposing presence in the run game. The Steelers will likely continue to lean on him and the rest of their offensive line to keep their playoff hopes alive in Week 18.”
There is no denying that at times Jones is an imposing presence in the run game.
That was his strength coming out of Georgia, and so far in the NFL that’s been the case. He brings a nasty, mauler mentality to the position, which seems to have rubbed off on others. He’s constantly looking to finish plays in the run game, dishing out punishment and attempting to wear down defenders.
He’s not afraid to get chippy, too.
That was seen throughout the game against the Seahawks. He mixed it up post-whistle with a number of Seattle defenders, getting in their heads with his physical demeanor.
Though he continues to have some struggles from a pass-blocking perspective, Jones continues to produce in the run game and looks like a legitimate foundational building block in that aspect of the game. That’s a positive development for the Black and Gold.
