Will the Steelers move Broderick Jones to left tackle even if they don’t draft a premier right tackle?
The Steelers still plan for Broderick Jones as their left tackle “eventually”, which is why they drafted him. Yet he spent the second half of his rookie season starting at right tackle, having battled for the left tackle job in the offseason.
Only general manager Omar Khan went so far as to say that Jones will be the left tackle at some point. Head coach Mike Tomlin offered less decisive answers, seemingly open to keeping him on the right side. But you have to take everything teams say in this regard with a grain of salt.
There are very strong indications that the Steelers hope to land a new starting right tackle early in the draft. They’ve brought in a number of first-round candidates for that job for pre-draft visits, including Amarius Mims. Finding another player to handle right tackle allows them to move Jones to the left side.
But they have other needs they may address in the first round, and if they don’t take a tackle then, they may not find a Day-1 starter. Even a player like Mims may not be an option for the opener. That doesn’t necessarily force them to keep Jones on the right side, however.
The Steelers have other options to take over for Jones on the right side. They can, of course, draft a tackle in the second round who could potentially start. They could move Dan Moore Jr. to the right side and give him the offseason to adjust to it. Or they can give guys like Dylan Cook and Spencer Anderson a look there. Teams release veterans they no longer need after the draft, and the Steelers could potentially find another option there.
The earlier you make the decision to move Broderick Jones, the more time you have to explore your options. Give Moore and Cook and Anderson the offseason to work through the options and see if any of them stick. They still likely draft a tackle at some point even if not in the first round. And tackles after the first round can still play. They’ve found good ones in the past, like Marcus Gilbert and Kelvin Beachum.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
