Steelers' First-Round Decision From Years Ago Could Seriously Affect Pittsburgh In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a very clear goal of building in the trenches ever since the front office was taken over by Omar Khan and Andy Weidl. Both sides of the ball have received upgrades, but there is still some work to be done after some draft selections turned out not to be as formidable as originally thought. With the team projected to have over 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, fans could see a lot of positional needs addressed. However, there are some returning players that also may be at risk of losing their jobs, and not just to rookies that will be coming in.

Khan swung big during his first full offseason in charge. He traded up in round one back in 2023 to select Broderick Jones out of the University of Georgia. Unfortunately, he spent the first two years of his career stuck at the wrong position over at right tackle, and finally got the starting spot on the left side in 2025. After an up and down campaign, he suffered a neck injury in November and didn't play again.

Jones' replacement, Dylan Cook, stepped in and performed very well. He held down the fort with the former first-round pick sidelined, and many finished the season believing that there could be a legitimate battle for the top job come 2026 training camp. For fans that are down on Jones and high on Cook, they may have to take a step back. Team reporter Ray Fittipaldo joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on Thursday, and implied politics could get in the way and negatively affect Cook.

"I think Dylan Cook deserves a chance to compete with Broderick 'cause I think he has a chance to be the better player, but this was Omar Khan's very first draft pick and he traded up to get him," Fittipaldo said. "I do think he's going to be afforded every opportunity to earn that job back if he gets a clean bill of health. Dylan Cook was really really good. There's a couple years age difference there, but I wouldn't be opposed to Dylan Cook winning the starting job."

Despite Cook clearly being more effective, it will be hard to lean his way if Jones returns to offseason workouts in good shape. He is making a lot more, and it paints a bad picture for Khan and co. if Jones is completely benched by year four. The Steelers may not have to make this kind of decision; however, as there has been no clear indication of how serious the neck injury could be for the left tackle.

"The other issue, guys, is the neck injury," Fittipaldo stated. "We honestly don't know what's going on there. Hopefully we find out at the [NFL Scouting] Combine here in a couple weeks."

Steelers fans saw Ryan Watts' career quickly come to a screeching halt after he suffered a neck injury in a 2024 preseason matchup. The team eventually released him. No one is saying that will be Jones' fate, but it can't be ruled out at this time.

It's anybody's guess as to what the future for Jones may hold, but it is quite clear that he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. The fact that he was a first-round selection should not mean that he automatically is slotted as the starting left tackle. Cook certainly earned a chance to be in the conversation, regardless of the situation.

Steelers' Hiring Of Mike McCarthy Could Potentially Change Jones' Career

If Jones does come back healthy, he won't be returning to Mike Tomlin running the show. Mike McCarthy may not care about past draft selections and when they were taken. He could simply want to win football games. If this is the mindset, then it could be a true battle during training camp and the preseason between Jones and Cook. That is, if the former first-round is cleared to play football.

Do you think that the Steelers should give Cook a legitimate chance to be the starting left tackle in 2026? Let us know in the comments below!

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