Welcome to the 26th daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 26: BRODERICK JONES
Georgia offensive tackle
Jones is the No. 26-rated player on Pro Football Focus' big board. The former five-star prospect meteorically rose over the last season and a half at Georgia, making him one of the top offensive line prospects in this draft.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
The two-time national champion didn't earn his big break until the end of the 2021 season as a redshirt freshman, when he played in every game but started the last four including the national championship game at left tackle after starter Jamaree Salyer was injured against Auburn that season.
He blossomed as a full-time starter in 2022, earning a first-team All-SEC nod after starting all 15 games on Georgia's second straight national champion team. Jones earned an 84.1 pass-blocking grade from PFF as a full-time left tackle.
The Lithonia, Ga., native was a part of Georgia's embarrassment of riches in its top-rated recruiting class of 2020. In that class, coach Kirby Smart pulled in four consensus five-star prospects which will be in this draft: Jones, Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo, and Darnell Washington. Jones was the second-highest-rated among the four, as the No. 11 overall prospect in the nation. Jones had seven offers out of high school, all coming from Power Five schools.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
Jones shed some weight throughout his three seasons at Georgia, measuring at 315 pounds out of high school to 311 pounds as measured at the NFL Combine. The NFL Next Gen Stats grading system gave him a score of 85, second-best among offensive tackles to participate in the event.
At the Combine, Jones tested among the best at his position athletically. His 4.97 40-yard dash led all offensive linemen, and his 30-inch vertical and 9-foot broad jump were respectable results. He measured at 6-foot-5 with a 34 3/4-inch arm length and a 10 5/8-inch hand width.
In his post-Combine evaluation, NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Jones to fellow Lithonia, Ga., native, former Bulldog, and former No. 4 overall pick Andrew Thomas.
Here is a look at Jones at his pro day. He received generally positive parks for his showcase:
Georgia OL Broderick Jones getting in work at pro day. Another potential top-10 pick pic.twitter.com/sadSxHIqfQ
— Ryan Kerley (@RyanCKerley) March 15, 2023
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Jones going at No. 13 overall to the New York Jets, with an average draft slotting at 15.167. Our Chris Halicke's latest mock draft and my own mock draft also have Jones going to the Jets at No. 13.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan scouted Jones at his pro day in Athens, Ga., though many other hopefuls from the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs were also earning looks from the members of the Steelers brass. That includes defensive end Nolan Smith, cornerback Ringo, and defensive tackle Carter, among others.
COREY'S TAKE
This is such an interesting case from within the Steelers' standpoint and from the outside of it. On the inside, if they value Jones that highly, I'm not so sure he would be there at No. 17 and could prompt the Steelers to trade up to get him. But if he somehow falls that far, I almost think this is a no-brainer for a selection.
That said, and repeating: I don't think he slips. But he could.
Does that make sense? It does in my caffeine-filled head.
THE REST
1. Alabama QB Bryce Young
2. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
3. Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr.
4. Kentucky QB Will Levis
5. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
6. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
7. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
8. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
9. TCU WR Quentin Johnston
10. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
11. Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
12. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
13. Pitt DT Calijah Kancey
14. Iowa DE Lukas Van Ness
15. Utah TE Dalton Kincaid
16. Maryland CB Deonte Banks
17. Alabama S Brian Branch
18. Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
19. Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr.
20. Tennessee OT Darnell Wright
21. Clemson DT Bryan Bresee
22. Georgia DE Nolan Smith
23. Clemson DE Myles Murphy
24. Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison
25. Iowa State DE Will McDonald IV
