INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers will move Broderick Jones back to left tackle at some point, general manager Omar Khan said on Thursday. Jones started his season at left tackle but moved to right tackle after the team benched Chuks Okorafor.
Khan made it clear that Jones was drafted to be a left tackle, and while he did not commit to making him a left tackle to start next season, he will move there eventually.
“I’ve said this before, but versatility on the offensive line is important. He proved he could play right tackle last year but he was drafted to be a left tackle. And eventually, he will be a left tackle. When that is, time will tell, but he was drafted to be a left tackle,” Khan said.
Jones replaced left tackle Dan Moore during the team’s Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans when Moore suffered a knee sprain, and he started the following week against the Baltimore Ravens.
But when Moore returned to health, Jones returned to the bench until Okorafor’s outburst gave him another shot. He did not give up that role, becoming a bulldozer in the run game while struggling a bit down the stretch in pass protection.
A 6-foot-5, 311-pound Lithonia, Georgia native, the Steelers traded up three spots in the first round to get Jones, sending the 140th pick to the New England Patriots in compensation. Jones was a two-year starter at Georgia, playing right tackle his freshman year before moving to the left. He started his Steelers career behind Moore at left tackle before getting his opportunity on the right side in practice.
Now, it appears that Broderick Jones is moving back to his natural spot at some point. There are several top right tackles in this class, including Taliese Fuaga, JC Latham, Amarius Mims, and Tyler Guyton. All those guys could slot into that role for the team, while Jones will likely shift back over. Jones has long said that he can play anywhere, and even has comfort on both sides, but given his natural spot is left tackle, that is where he should be playing.
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