Coming into Year 3 in the NFL with a move back to left tackle, expectations are for 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones to start putting together some solid play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He shed some weight, looked slim and athletic during the offseason, and had some confidence back at left tackle.
But four days into training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Jones is off to a rough start. He’s also battling an injury now, too, which he suffered Sunday in practice.
For longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly, the weight loss is a concern, as is the on-field performance. Appearing on KDKA’s No. 1 Cochran Sports Showdown Sunday night, and then on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Monday morning, Kaboly expressed his concerns with Jones so far in training camp.
“You look at it this, you wish he would’ve got off to a better start considering everything’s surrounding him and how he’s making that switch,” Kaboly said on the Sports Showdown regarding Jones. “He looks a little undersized to me. To me, he looks like he’s about 280.
“He should be athletic. He should be able to move. But I guess you have to give him time to work out the kinks as well.”
Jones showed up to camp about 20 pounds lighter than what he had played at previously at right tackle. He certainly looked the part, too, showing up slim and truly in the best shape of his life.
It hasn’t translated on the field just yet though. Through the first four days of training camp, Jones has had some struggles, particularly with pass rushers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. Then on Sunday, he left practice early with the injury and is considered day-to-day.
There’s a lot riding on Jones at left tackle for the young offensive line.
Kaboly says it’s not time to panic just yet, but the slow start for Jones is notable.
“He’s been very slow on the get off. Nick Herbig has beat him pretty significantly where he is not even touching him,” Kaboly said on the Fan Morning Show regarding Jones. “Alex Highsmith was beating him bad and once you get into pads, maybe that has something to do with it when you’re just a straight rusher in that situation where you’re not going to get clocked from one side or another.
“But I would just put it this way. He hasn’t got off to a good start.”
It’s still very early in the process for the Steelers and Jones. The injury certainly doesn’t help, and hopefully it’s not something that keeps him out more than a day or two, but once the pads come on hopefully things change in training camp for Jones.
He’s always had issues with his get-off at the snap, leaving him susceptible to speed rushers, and in the process has forced him to adjust, leaving him vulnerable to inside counters.
Coming off a season at right tackle in which he allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL, there’s a lot of attention on Jones. The Steelers traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to land him out of Georgia. It’s been rocky the first two years with the Steelers playing him out of position. Now, he’s back at left tackle. He needs to solidify the position and become the player the Steelers thought they were getting.
There’s still plenty of time for that to happen, but it hasn’t been a good start so far in training camp.
