Steelers All 90: Broderick Jones ‘Setting Himself Up Nice’ This Offseason

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the offseason with the goal to retool the offensive line which they did. The Steelers signed Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, Le’Raven Clark, Jarrid Williams, and Dylan Cook but their biggest long-term investment was the drafting of Georgia’s Broderick Jones.

Yes, Seumalo’s deal is very big in regard to money but the potential that Jones has in regard to being a franchise left tackle was too much for the Steelers to not move up in the draft to snag him. Needing to jump the New York Jets in order to obtain Jones, the Steelers traded their 2023 first-round and fourth-round draft picks to the New England Patriots for the pick that they used to get the Georgia product.

RELATED: Broderick Jones Draft Trade Named Best Steelers Offseason Move

At Georgia, Jones played with and against some of the best players in the nation. Entering his first season as a Bulldog, Jones quickly learned what it meant to be a “dawg” which ultimately helped him become the best player that he could be by the end of his collegiate career.

“When I first went in, there’s this thing they call a Dawg drill — basically one-on-ones,” Jones said. “I had to go against six people that all went first round as a freshman coming in and lost every single rep.”

After a season of rocky offensive line play, the need to upgrade was evident, and with left tackle being the most important position on the offensive line, that is where the Steelers wanted to invest the most. Now, Dan Moore Jr., who started at left tackle last season is at risk of losing his job due to the investment made.

Jones has impressed in practice so much already that veteran teammates of his are already taking note of the rookie. Longtime Steeler, Cam Heyward, acknowledged that Jones has the body frame and potential to be a big-time contributor at some point.

“There’s just a lot to like there,” Heyward said. “I love his tenacity. He’s got a good body and he can move well. You know, quick feet. There’s just things he’s going to keep working on. I don’t like to gas the rookie and give him all the keys to the car but he’s setting himself up nice. He’s going to be a big player down the road.”

RELATED: Broderick Jones Impresses Fellow Linemen at Steelers OTAs

While there is competition brewing for the starting left tackle job, even if Jones does not start in Week 1, he will play at some point. The Steelers’ offensive line coach Pat Meyers pointed out that Jones has all of the tools that you want in a player and now just has to hone his craft.

“He’s talented, he’s young, he’s athletic, he’s got all the tools,” Meyer said. “The thing is he wants to be great, so he stays with that, and he wants to be great, and he has that attitude to do that. And when the time’s ready for him, he’s going to be in there.”

77 • Broderick Jones, Tackle, Georgia
6-foot-5, 311 pounds, 22 years old, 1st Season

Acquired: The Steelers drafted Jones out of the University of Georgia with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Steelers traded up in the first round of the draft to be able to select the Georgia product. The team traded pick No. 17 and pick No. 120 to the New England Patriots for the No. 14 pick that they used to select Jones.

Last Year: Jones took over the starting role at left tackle in 2022 as he played and started all 15 games for the Bulldogs as a redshirt sophomore. He played a career-high 933 offensive snaps and committed just two penalties all season. PFF gave him a 78.4 offensive rating in 2022. After the season, Jones was named an Associated Press All-SEC First-Team selection. Jones decided to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft following his 2022 season at Georgia.

Georgia’s left tackle Broderick Jones (59) blocks a Vanderbilt defender in a game in Georgia.

College: Coming out of Lithonia High School in Georgia, Jones was regarded as not only one of the best offensive linemen recruits but as one of the top prospects nationally at any position. ESPN rated Jones as the ninth-best prospect in the nation coming out of high school. Jones played in the Under Armour All-American games and eventually decided to stay in-state and play his college football at the University of Georgia.

As a true freshman, Jones appeared in just two games and played 25 offensive snaps. In his freshman season, Jones played right tackle during his two appearances. Pro Football Focus gave Jones a 90.3 rating for his 25 snaps which is considered elite in their rating system. Due to him playing in just two games, 2020 ended up serving as a redshirt season for Jones.

In 2021, Jones appeared in all 15 games and notched four starts at left tackle in place of the injured starter. In 438 offensive snaps, Jones only committed one penalty and earned a 78.8 rating from PFF. Following the season, Jones was named to the coaches’ Freshman All-SEC team.

In total, Jones appeared in 32 games for the Bulldogs from 2020 to 2022 as he recorded 19 starts at left tackle and two appearances at right tackle.

Georgia’s left tackle Broderick Jones (59) blocks a defender during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Salary cap and future: Jones is entering his rookie season in 2023 and will cost the Steelers $3.02 million against the team’s 2023 cap space. Jones is signed to a standard four-year rookie contract that has a fifth-year option attached to it due to him being a first-round draft pick.

Jones’ rookie contract with the Steelers will keep him in Pittsburgh until after the 2026 season which is the earliest he can become a free agent. The Steelers will have the option to keep him with the team through the 2027 season if they chose to exercise Jones’ fifth-year option.

The rest of the 90: