When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 draft, most fans expected him to come in as the starting left tackle. That was not the case. Dan Moore Jr. ended up holding onto the left tackle job last year, and Jones was only inserted into the lineup at right tackle after Chukwuma Okorafor was benched. Jones’ play was up and down throughout his rookie year, but overall, he was as advertised and looks to be a building block for the Steelers going forward. It seems that time spent sitting on the bench was crucial for Jones.
Jones spoke to media following the first day of training camp and was asked if he felt like he started at the right time last year, or if he feels he should have started sooner.
“I feel like I started at the right time,” Jones said via a video from the team’s website. “I feel like I needed a couple weeks to sit and watch and just learn and listen and take everything in before I was able to go out there and do what I do. I feel like me being able to sit down those first couple weeks really helped me. I really feel like it helped me hone in on my skills. At the end of the day, I feel like it worked out for the best.”
While fans were clamoring for Jones to start right away last year, it seems like Mike Tomlin and company knew what they were doing by allowing him to sit and learn. Much of the time, when players are drafted highly, teams will throw them into the starting lineup just because they feel like they have to. Just because a player was drafted in the top 10 or 15 does not mean they need to instantly see the field. Sometimes that can hurt a player’s development more than anything.
Justin Fields is a perfect example of that. Selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2021 draft, Fields was thrust into the starting job early in his career after an injury to starter Andy Dalton. While he flashed moments if brilliance, he needed time to sit and work on the things he struggled with. Based on their work with Jones, it seems the Steelers may give him an opportunity to red0 that experience the right way.
It looks like Jones will be the team’s starting right tackle going forward, but he could move to the left side if needed. It remains to be seen if he takes a leap in skill after getting a full NFL offseason under his belt. Jones’ comments indicate that he’s aware that he wasn’t ready to start last year, but it doesn’t seem like he has those same doubts this year. With Troy Fautanu being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, the Steelers should have their pair of tackles for the future. If Fautanu doesn’t start this year though, it seems like it’s fair to trust the Steelers’ process.
