It cost the Steelers the 120th overall pick to move up three spots in the first round to select Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who very likely would have been snagged by the Jets with the 15th selection.
What are the Steelers getting with their first round pick, the first offensive tackle they’ve drafted in the first round since 1996 when they picked Jamain Stephens?
Jones will be turning just 22 years old in the middle of May. He is a young prospect that started only 19 games for the Bulldogs. He was a five-star recruit that was blocked for playing time by Jamaree Salyer, who is coming off an impressive rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jones now makes four straight Georgia left tackles that went to the NFL, three of whom were first round picks including Isaiah Wynn and Andrew Thomas. It goes without saying that Jones would have seen the field much earlier at just about any other college football program in the country and it should be noted that during those 19 starts, he played against some elite competition … and was the left tackle for two national championship teams.
Let’s start with the concerns surrounding Jones.
He needs a lot of technique work. Much of his issues come from his penchant for being overly aggressive. Jones wants to punish his opponent and as a result, could stand to play the game a little slower and in better control. If he wasn’t such a great athlete, Jones wouldn’t have gotten away with underdeveloped technique as much as he did at the college level.
But it is much better to try to coach some aggressiveness out of a player rather than the other way around. Jones’ base doesn’t always marry well with his upper body and his hand placement needs much more refinement. He also has a very bad habit of ducking his head in pass protection and losing sight of his opponent and compromising his balance.
All of this can be taught, but also won’t come overnight.
But, as mentioned, Jones is an extreme athlete. He can really run, and this is a big blocker that shines in space downfield, pulling, or in the screen game. Jones is over 6-foot-5 and weighs 313 pounds with big, powerful hands and arms reaching over 34 inches. These are prototypical dimensions for an NFL left tackle. He has very light feet and his basketball background is very easy to quickly spot on the football field.
While his base was an issue on tape at times, his drill work at the NFL Combine was remarkable in terms of maintaining a wide stable base without compromising his movement whatsoever. Jones is a natural knee bender with loose hips. This keeps him from bending at the waist and losing his leverage. His ankle flexion is also very impressive, allowing Jones to keep all of his cleats in the ground with great balance.
His 4.97 40-yard dash was the fastest of any offensive lineman at the Combine and that speed is very apparent when watching him seek his prey. His athletic ability also really shows up when recovering in pass protection. Jones has proven to be durable and committed just one penalty (a false start) during his time at Georgia. Of all the offensive linemen in this draft, Jones’ ceiling in probably the highest. But, he is far from a finished product.
Watch how explosive Jones is out of the blocks and how fluid he is scooting down the track in Indianapolis for a big man in this video.
Jones will likely compete with Dan Moore for the starting left tackle job, and it isn’t a foregone conclusion that he will usurp Moore for that honor immediately.
But, it also wouldn’t be surprising if Jones just outclasses Moore -- who played pretty well last year -- from an athletic standpoint from the get-go and has to get on the field. That could come in the form of a sixth offensive lineman/oversized tight end, something the Steelers are likely going to get back to with more regularity. Don’t overreact if Jones has some growing pains and doesn’t instantly take over as the starter, but the Steelers also don’t immediately need that from their first-round selection.
True NFL left tackles don’t grow on trees and many teams, including the Steelers last year, didn’t have ideal players at that position. NFL left tackles with Jones’ traits playing on a rookie contract not only don’t grow on trees, but they are also worth their weight in gold for five years.
And, at Jones’ age, he could end up being a three-contract player. This selection makes a ton of football and financial sense, and the Steelers now could have a stacked offensive line…aka “The Pickett Fence”.