Everyone wants to be the best right off the bat, and the newest offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers will get his chance. As Trai Essex said on the SN Podcast, first-round offensive linemen do not sit and develop like how you would expect a rookie quarterback to do. With that said, Broderick Jones will be the starting left tackle immediately. With the schedule being released Thursday, Jones will most likely watch a lot of film of the first edge rushers he has to face, and he'll have quite the task immediately.
Steelers.com
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 first round draft pick Broderick Jones meets with the press for the first time.
Who will be the first test for Jones and the Steelers?
The Steelers will open up the season at home against the San Francisco 49ers, meaning that Jones will be in charge of stopping Nick Bosa, who is a perennial DPOY candidate. Neither stats nor game film can do justice to what Bosa brings to the 49ers when he is healthy. Jones will still have to watch plenty of film on him if he wants to prove his draft stock immediately. Will he be able to handle Bosa? Only time will tell. It will get easier for Jones...right?
It will not be easier, as Jones will have the spotlight on him for Monday Night Football in Week 2 when the Steelers play the Cleveland Browns. He will have to against another perennial DPOY candidate in Myles Garrett. On the bright side, Dan Moore Jr. has had his way with Garrett, so he could give some tips to Jones on how to neutralize that threat. Still, it will likely not be an easy task for Jones to match up with back-to-back top 5 edge rushers in the league. However, the Browns just traded for Za'Darius Smith to add more pressure to Jones.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (#95) rushes the passer during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in Cleveland. | David Richard / AP
There has been plenty on the rivalry front with the Garrett vs Steelers matchup. From the quarterback graveyard, to the cape, to the incident that shall not be named, there is quite a bit of bulletin board material for the Steelers in this case. Even though Jones hasn't been on the team for those scenarios, he will probably learn about the rivalry quickly. Either way, there's no reason to overlook this matchup, and Jones will have his work cut out for him again. There's no way it will happen for three straight weeks though...
It will actually happen for three straight weeks. It will also be another primetime game, as the Steelers will travel to Nevada to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football. With that, Jones will have to face the likes of either Chandler Jones or Maxx Crosby, or maybe both of them in rotation. Even with Chandler Jones' recent struggles with the Raiders, he should not be taken lightly, as his veteran knowledge could be an edge against Broderick Jones.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (#8) rolls out of the pocket against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh, PA.
Meanwhile, Crosby has been playing at his peak for a couple years now. Barring a hard, unexpected regression, Crosby will still be a force on the edge. He will be the bigger threat on the Raiders' pass rush, and the one that would likely give Jones the most trouble. He just came off of his best season so far, so he will likely give Jones a lot of problems whenever they're matched up together.
The good news is Jones will finally be off primetime and no longer face a top five edge rusher in the league. The bad news is he will go up against a player that is being hyped up as a generational prospect and a potential top five edge rusher immediately. Even with injuries and underperformance in his last season in college, Will Anderson Jr. is expected to be an immediate threat in the NFL, and he will be relied upon to give the Houston Texans a shot at beating the Steelers. Luckily, Jones saw plenty of Anderson in the SEC, so he already has some knowledge of his game.
Finally, after four weeks, Jones doesn't have to go up against a headliner of a pass rusher. However, he still has to go up against a hated division rival that can develop defensive players like the Steelers develop receivers. It doesn't matter if Odafe Oweh hasn't lived up to his draft grade. The Baltimore Ravens will make every single Steeler play their hardest to win, and vice versa. No matter who Jones will have to face on the edge, he will have to be on top of his game to keep Kenny Pickett upright.
Fred Vuich / AP
Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) is driven into the ground by Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Patrick Queen resulting in a concussion for the signal-caller. |
After five weeks of insanity, the Steelers have a bye week, followed by a stretch of teams with weak edge rushers. Compared to the beginning of the season, the rest of the season will be smooth sailing. If Jones can handle the first five weeks, the Steelers will know that their future is safe with their new blindside blocker.
What do you think of the challenges that Broderick Jones will have to face immediately? Let us know in the comments below.
#SteelerNation.
