There were eight players selected inside the top 45 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft, and seven have already turned out as advertised. Can you guess who didn't? That's right... Broderick Jones, the 14th overall pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite moving up in the first round to secure what they believed at the time was the best remaining offensive tackle, Jones has failed to impress. Now this first-round decision from three years ago has gone from looking bad to even worse.
After the first week of Steelers training camp, NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported that the Atlanta Falcons signed offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron to a four-year $96 million contract extension over the weekend.
If the Steelers could do it all over again, there are a handful of offensive linemen on the board they would have taken early in the 2023 draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' Broderick Jones draft mistake continues to look worse after Matthew Bergeron's contract extension
If the Steelers wanted to take the best overall player on the board in 2023, Christian Gonzalez was a no-brainer. But at the time, it was clear that the offensive line was on the mind of new general manager Omar Khan, and Jones was the guy they were dialed in on.
Unfortunately, Jones clearly looks like the worst of the first eight offensive linemen selected in the 2023 draft.
Even with a trade-up , Pittsburgh didn't have a shot at landing offensive tackles Paris Johnson or Darnell Wright, nor could they secure Peter Skoronski (who would transition to guard in the NFL). But even after these options, there were offensive linemen ripe for the picking.
After the Steelers traded from pick No. 17 to pick No. 14 for Jones, there was a break on offensive linemen until pick No. 27. That's when Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison went off the board. Then, early in the second round, we saw Steve Avila go to the Rams (No. 37), Matthew Bergeron go to the Falcons (No. 38), and Joe Tippmann go to the New York Jets (No. 43 overall).
Before Bergeron's massive extension, Tippmann broke the bank with a rich new deal this offseason, and Avila is next in line to get paid.
Three years later, it's evident that the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't have gone wrong with any of the four offensive linemen taken directly after them in the 2023 draft. But here we are; Broderick is entering a contract year, and it doesn't look like there's much he can do to salvage his career in Pittsburgh.
Here's the good news: even though the Steelers ultimately burned a top-15 pick on an underwhelming offensive tackle, they are already set up for excellent future success.
The Steelers' offensive line selections in 2024 already look extremely encouraging with Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu, and Mason McCormick. Meanwhile, 2026 draft picks Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker could be the two missing pieces that eventually round out the league's youngest offensive lines.
Front offices aren't going to hit on every pick. It's probably safe to label Jones as a bust at this point. Thankfully, the Steelers are already set up for success along the offensive line.
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