Broderick Jones’ rookie year was something of a NASCAR pit stop. At least in the way he became a full-time starter. Beginning the year as a backup, he took over as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting right tackle in Week 9 against the Tennessee Titans. Which meant stepping into the lineup on a short week for a Thursday night game at a position he hadn’t started at since high school.
Despite the challenge, Jones didn’t lose any lug nuts. Entering his second season, he’s working to fine-tune his skills no matter where Pittsburgh decides to play him.
“You gotta be able to fine-tune your skills on both sides and just be able to lock in and focus,” he told reporters in video shared by the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette’s YouTube page. “Because going from right to left, it is difficult. I’m not gonna say it isn’t. Because when I first started doing it, when they first moved me to the right side last year, it was difficult for me. It took me a couple weeks to get right.”
Jones finished the year at right tackle. He excelled as a run blocker, jump-starting Pittsburgh’s ground game to multiple 200-yard performances. His pass protection waned late in the year, Jones prone to getting beat by inside rushes and counters.
Entering the offseason, his 2024 spot remained up in the air. Pittsburgh searched high and low in the pre-draft process for a tackle, landing Troy Fautanu in the first round. But that only created more questions about where Jones would end up. Fautanu, like Jones at Georgia, was a college left tackle. Would he stay on the left side? Or would Jones flip back? So far, it seems Fautanu has worked at right tackle while Jones has played both. For Week 1, he knows the team could go either way.
“If you’re able to practice [both sides] and you have a little time to actually figure out what works for you on each side, then you’ll be alright,” he said.
Jones seemed to hint he could be the backup at whichever tackle spot he doesn’t start. Asked if he’d back up Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle even if Jones was the starting right tackle, Jones said he’d be able to flip over. Presumably, the same could hold true if Jones was the left tackle and Fautanu the right. It’s an unconventional approach, especially for a highly touted draft pick, but Moore’s discomfort playing on the right side is forcing the Steelers’ hand.
Ideally, Broderick Jones could concentrate on one position and be the best left or right tackle he could be. But to his credit, he’s taken a mature and team-first approach to help the Steelers win.
