Broderick Jones Dazzles Mike Tomlin vs. Falcons
ATLANTA — Broderick Jones keeps getting better. The rookie left tackle is not perfect in the preseason, but one thing is that his progression so far is linear. Pittsburgh’s offense continues its upward trend, as does their first-round pick, who continues to impress coaches and players. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin loved the progression that Jones continues to showcase each time he times onto the field for another game.
“I did. I felt really good about the number of reps we could get him, and that was our intention. He is a talented young guy and he is with a third-year guy and those guys need as many reps as they can get, and thankfully, we were able to get him a lot,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers worked in multiple different groups. Jones and Dan Moore played with one another for the first time all preseason. On Thursday, Broderick Jones proved his capability as a run blocker, mauling players all over Atlanta’s defense.
But perhaps the most impressive thing about what Jones did was the growth he displayed in his pass protection. No more does Jones appear as a jittery, off-kilter guy. He is starting to resemble a more patient and technical player.
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Make no mistake, there are still plays where Jones goes haywire. Yet, he can survive those plays thanks to his insane athleticism. No one at the position from the past draft class stacks up to Jones regarding physical traits. Some guys are more polished, though, and it is likely why Jones will not start week one. But he will likely end up starting a game at left tackle at some point this season—credit Dan Moore Jr. for putting up a tremendous fight and having a solid preseason and training camp.
Jones has a ways to go with his hands and footwork still. He will have erratic moments as a young player. However, this is one of those situations where Jones has the run blocking down for the most part, and his athleticism does raise his floor as a pass protector right off the bat. Jones will have to play Tackle in a live reps-based position at some point. The fact that he got so many reps in his first preseason experience is a massive boon for his stock. It is hard to improve as an offensive tackle without seeing those live reps and learning from the tape. So, expect Jones to continue his upward trend the more reps he gets.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Atlanta.
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