Broderick Jones was drafted to play left tackle. He spent most of his rookie year on the other side. After making one start for injured LT Dan Moore Jr. early in the season, Jones finished the year on the right side opposite Moore, replacing veteran Chukwuma Okorafor instead. That wasn’t the Steelers’ plan, but it was the result.
Now, the Steelers are discussing moving him back. Speaking with reporters Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Steelers general manager Omar Khan said that’s the team’s goal.
Eventually.
“I’ve said this before. Versatility on the offensive line’s important, and he proved that he could play right tackle,” Khan said. “But he was drafted to be a left tackle, and eventually he will be a left tackle. When that is, time will tell, but he was drafted to be a left tackle.”
In Khan’s first draft as the Steelers’ GM, he moved up from 17 to 14 in the first round to select Jones, the best tackle left in a class that lacked depth. Jones battled Moore for the starting left tackle spot in the summer, though it didn’t turn out to be much in the way of a competition. Moore comfortably remained the starter throughout most of camp, only ceding a handful of snaps to Jones. With a good showing, Moore opened up the season as the starting left tackle, leaving Jones on the bench. Moore suffered a leg injury early in a Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans, sending Jones into the game. With Moore still hurt, Jones remained there for the Steelers’ Week 5 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
But after Moore got healthy following the team’s bye, Jones went back to the bench. He wouldn’t get the chance to start again until Week 9 after OT Chukwuma Okorafor was benched for reportedly making disparaging comments about the offense. Despite having little experience at right tackle, Jones stepped in and performed well. His run blocking was a plus the rest of the season as Pittsburgh found its stride on the ground, twice rushing for over 200 yards. But Jones’ pass protection faded down the stretch, perhaps a sign defenses were figuring him out.
The Steelers have been down this road before. They played Kevin Dotson out of position, a college right guard who started on the left side in Pittsburgh. A similar story unfolded with Kendrick Green. Primarily a college guard, he was shifted to center after the Steelers picked him the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. In both instances, the players looked out of place and admitted as much after they departed the team, each traded last summer. Broderick Jones doesn’t look as uncomfortable, but the Steelers must make it a point to move him to the position they intended to play him. Doing so eliminates any concern or questions about reaching his potential as an NFL tackle, eliminating the “what if” wonder if he’s on the right side.
While Khan’s response is encouraging, it’s also unclear if that switch will happen this year. Previously, Mike Tomlin admitted that he didn’t know if Jones would flip back to left tackle in 2024. There’s nothing preventing the team from running back the same tackles in the same starting places: Moore on the left side, Jones on the right. A left tackle throughout nearly all his college career and the entirety of his NFL days, Moore has admitted he’s not comfortable playing right tackle and he’s rarely done so, save for a few snaps this past summer. Moving Jones would create a massive hole at right tackle with no clear alternative, though this year’s draft offers a deep tackle class with several experienced right-side players.
While those are concerns that must be addressed, the focus should be on doing what’s best for Jones, a former first-round pick teeming with talent. The sooner Broderick Jones can become the left tackle of the present, not just the future, the better.
