It was rather surprising Tuesday to see second-year offensive tackle Broderick Jones lined up at right tackle on Day 1 of Organized Team Activities, especially after rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu was working at right tackle to open rookie minicamp a few weeks ago.
For now, though, Jones is working at both left and right tackle as the Steelers continue to value that position flexibility.
From Jones’ standpoint, he doesn’t care where he lines up along the offensive line as long as he’s in the lineup helping the team.
“I mean, I don’t care,” Jones said to reporters Tuesday when asked if he has a preference for what position he plays, according to video via Steelers.com. “I really don’t care what side they put me on. As long as I’m in the starting lineup, that’s fine with me. I’m an aggressive player, I’m a team player, so wherever they need me to play, I’m ready to play.”
That answer will certainly endear Broderick Jones not only to fans but coaches and teammates as well.
While he was drafted to be the franchise left tackle of the Steelers long-term, Jones’s first foray into the NFL as a full-time starter came at right tackle, where he took over for Chukwuma Okorafor in Week 9 of the NFL season, holding down the starting job at right tackle through the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills.
He had his ups and downs at the position but, for the most part, held his own as a rookie.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the Steelers, particularly GM Omar Khan, stated that they will eventually move Jones back over to left tackle. That comment was further backed up by the Steelers drafting Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and then having him start out at right tackle in rookie minicamp.
For now, though, Broderick Jones remains working at right tackle with the first-team offensive line, at least after one day of OTAs. That isn’t causing any issues for Jones, who truly doesn’t care where he lines up. Some guys can say that, but there is more to it than that. With Jones, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“At the end of the day, football is football. Right side, left side, in the backfield. It don’t matter,” Jones said. “You just gotta be prepared to play whenever your name is called.”
Based on the way Broderick Jones has handled everything early on in his Steelers’ tenure, he’ll be prepared for wherever the Steelers need him in the trenches.
