Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones will be protecting the blind side of 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2025. He'll have to be on his 'A' game, as the offense will run through Rodgers. If Rodgers gets injured, the Steelers' entire plans in 2025 will blow up in smoke.
At minicamp, Jones admitted that he's not quite there on his comfort with his new role.
"I think it went as good as it could go," Jones said. "You know, with everything going on — with me moving back to [LT] from [RT]. I still got a couple more weeks to hone in on my skills and continue to develop on the left side — and come in ready for [training camp].
"If I'm being honest, I think I probably do need a couple more weeks. Not saying I'd be bad, but just for me. Just to feel like I'm in the mindset to play an actual game — versus somebody else other than going against Alex Highsmith or Nick [Herbig]."
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones at OTAs on June 5, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Broderick Jones never complained about spending his first two seasons at right tackle, and steadfastly refused to blame his struggles over those season on him playing a new positions.
But it's always been clear that Jones wanted to be on the left side. He also said during OTAs that it feels more natural for him to play there.
"It does," Jones said. "When they initially moved me to right tackle and then I played there for so long and then they tried to make me like the swing tackle, it was kinda funky. But, I knew I would be going back to left."
Through two seasons, Jones has struggled in pass protection — an area that was obviously not his strength coming out of Georgia. He allowed 11 sacks last season, according to charting by Pro Football Focus .
Perhaps the change to left tackle could be beneficial to Jones. If not, the Steelers will be looking for a replacement. To say the least, this will be a crucial Year 3 for the Georgia product.
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 was benched early in the year for his subpar play, but with rookie Troy Fautanu out for the year, the Steelers really have no choice but to play him. They don't have anyone on the roster who would be better.
After a solid rookie campaign, Jones struggled mightily at right tackle in 2024 . A right elbow injury was noted as a possible reason for his struggles, but it appears to be something more than just that. It will be interesting to see how his move to left tackle plays out.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones during a game against Baltimore Ravenson Nov. 17, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Mike Tomlin defended Jones after a poor performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11.
"I am not worried about that," Tomlin said when asked if he anticipates a personnel change with Jones. "You guys can write all you want. Broderick Jones is playing right tackle for us. He's going to continue to get better. He's a top-quality player in terms of his talent. He's a young guy. He's experiencing some on the job training. He and I will not blink. Keep writing."
Career
:Jones has taken 1,806 reps with the Steelers at right tackle in his first two seasons, starting 27 games.
At Georgia, Jones excelled on the blind side
, but he was shifted to right tackle with the Steelers to accommodate Dan Moore Jr.
Jones' technique on his pass sets and hand placement have been his biggest issue. That's something that offensive line coach Pat Meyer needs to clean up.
Pre-draft:Jones scored a 9.57 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 56 out of 1294 OT from 1987 to 2023.
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.
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.
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.
Salary cap and future : Jones is entering his third season and will cost the Steelers $4.5 million against the team's 2025 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.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : All Eyes Will Be on Steelers LT Broderick Jones in 2025
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