Steelers Now
A former offensive lineman of the Pittsburgh Steelers did not hold back when assessing the play of Broderick Jones.
Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones struggled mightily against the New York Jets in Week 1, and one former Steelers offensive lineman believes there’s still a lot of work to be done to show he belongs in the NFL.
“It’s his first start at LT. You want to give the kid some grace. And I will. But there are some SERIOUS issues with 77’s technique and general football smarts that should not be made at this point in his career,” former offensive lineman Trai Essex wrote on X. “I am concerned. Hopefully time and reps will improve these issues.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones allowed three sacks and four pressures against the Jets. It was not the type of performance many were hoping to see after he made the switch back to his natural position this season.
Jones had spent the first two years of his NFL career playing the majority of his snaps at right tackle, and he struggled. However, training camp was a mixed bag for him, and now so is the start to his regular season.
The Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft knows he must continue to improve or he could lose his starting job.
“I’ve been in the starting lineup. It’s still the same position to me,” Jones said. “I’m trying to become a starter. They’re looking at me to be left tackle, so I just got to focus on that.”
Jones has plenty of season ahead to change the narrative around him, but he better do it fast if he hopes to retain his starting job at left tackle.
Pittsburgh also has veteran offensive tackles Calvin Anderson and Andrus Peat as potential options to replace Jones if he continues to struggle.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers OL Blasts Broderick Jones For Week 1 Performance
