Steelers got the Broderick Jones pick right
Don’t overthink this, the Steelers did the absolute right thing in the first round. For the first time in a long time, the first round of the draft was seemingly wide open for the Steelers. They had a lot of interest in the top tackles and cornerbacks, but there was even the chance a player like Nolan Smith could have been the target.
Despite rumors of a big trade up into the top ten, the Steelers remained at their pick as the draft rolled into the teens. This was smart, as a trade that high would have cost one or more of the team’s day-two picks. Instead, they got great value moving up from pick 17 to 14 and only surrendering a fourth-round pick.
That doesn’t even take into account the player they got. Broderick Jones has the highest potential out of every tackle in this class, and while he is raw as a player, he was well worth the combination of picks. He gives the team a potential star at left tackle, something they have lacked for a long time.
I expect plenty of growing pains in his rookie season, as he needs to get better as a technician, but he was worth the investment to get. The Steelers didn’t have to trade a fortune to move up for him and didn’t have to settle for the second tier of tackle. This was a great pick all around.