It was an ugly day at the office for Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones. In his debut as the full-time protector of Aaron Rodgers' blindside, things couldn't have gone much worse for the Steelers' 2023 first-round pick. Some may dismiss it as just Week 1 of the season, but this has been a recurring trend for Jones throughout his NFL career, and it’s cause for concern.
During an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan Show, former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex said some concerning things about Jones's performance against the New York Jets. There is a lot to fix, and it seems like there might not be any solutions to the young tackle's woes. The player fell flat on his face once again, and time is running out on his NFL career at this pace.
Essex summed up Jones's performance pretty easily,
"Not good. There's not much more you can say. That performance left a lot to be desired, and it's troubling."
Jones is now in his third year with the Steelers after they traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to pick him. He seemed destined to break out this season after being forced to start games at right tackle, a position new to him. Returning to the left side created new hope for Pittsburgh, but after his terrible game against the Jets, almost all hope has been tarnished.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman ripped apart Broderick Jones' performance
NFL stands for "not for long," and it appears Jones might be out of a job soon if Essex is right. The young tackle will have a long leash as the starting left tackle for the Steelers since they have few options behind him. They have no other choice but to place their blind faith in him. He must turn things around in a hurry, or he could be one of the worst draft busts in recent memory.
"He went against some good competition yesterday. Will McDonald is an elite pass rusher. Quentin Williams is an elite defensive lineman." Essex continued, "No excuse though, because there were a couple plays where he just looked like, like he didn't belong in the NFL with some of the sets that he had."
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Struggling at different points in your career as a left tackle is one thing, but when a former player says you might not belong in the NFL, it’s an overwhelming statement. Jones has displayed moments of solid play during his career, but he has also exposed significant weaknesses in himself. His inconsistency has shown he is much closer to becoming a draft bust than to fixing his shortcomings.
Essex continued his bashing of Jones,
"What makes it the most troubling is the fact that I don't know how it gets better. He has some fundamental technique issues that have reared their head at right tackle, and they're rearing their head right now at left tackle."
Jones is on a path that will lead him to failure. Omar Khan has gained plenty of praise for his draft classes since becoming the General Manager, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows thus far. Jones could become a gigantic blemish on his draft record. They just need Jones to be an average offensive lineman at worst, but he could be their weakest link this season.
Pittsburgh employs a young offensive line, but now is the time for the group to congeal around Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. He cannot escape the pocket like he could in his youth, and that led to plenty of pressure on him against New York. Their failure as a unit to improve will result in an offensive line that struggles with both run blocking and pass protection.