Development of Broderick Jones at left tackle remains work in progress for Steelers

Broderick Jones had a matter-of-fact response when he was asked what he and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ young offensive line accomplished in training camp and during the first preseason game.

“Nothing yet, honestly,” Jones said Tuesday as the Steelers prepared for their final practice at Saint Vincent.

Jones meant no disrespect to the hours spent practicing under the hot sun at Chuck Noll Field or the work done at EverBank Stadium when the first-team line played two series in a 31-15 victory Saturday night at Jacksonville.

Jones simply thinks it is too early to gauge how much the line has progressed with him returning to left tackle and fellow first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu starting at right tackle. The line also includes two other young components in second-year players Zach Frazier at center and Mason McCormick at right guard.

“Training camp is great, but you never know the true test until Week 1 rolls around, and you actually get to put it on tape,” Jones said.

The third-year tackle and 2023 first-round pick, however, is anticipating the joint practice that will take place Thursday at Acrisure Stadium between the Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His eyes widened when he was asked about the scrimmage. Jones will get to play several team periods against the Tampa Bay defense as opposed to the limited number of snaps he got against Jacksonville.

“That is more what I’m looking for: being able to go against somebody else that you don’t get to see every day and put what you know out there on display,” he said. “It’s seeing what you can really do.”

Jones and the rest of the first-team linemen — apart from a rested Isaac Seumalo at left guard — played 15 snaps against the Jaguars. The first drive resulted in a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that provided a 7-3 lead. On the second possession, the Steelers got a first down before a sack of quarterback Mason Rudolph lost 10 yards and precipitated a punt three plays later.

“I thought the pockets were pretty good,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said. “We did the one sack with a little miscue there underneath, and then another lesson learned — the clock goes off. That was a drive. We took the negative play, and it’s hard to overcome that. … Plenty of stuff to learn from.”

Jones, of course, is readjusting to playing on the left side of the offensive line after essentially playing right tackle his first two years with the Steelers. He made 26 of 27 starts at right tackle the past two seasons but returned to his natural position when Dan Moore Jr. exited in free agency.

A soft-tissue injury early in training camp kept Jones sidelined for a few days, perhaps slowing the first-team unit’s cohesion.

“He didn’t get all the reps we wanted him to get,” offensive line coach Pat Meyer said. “He’s still learning the left side in terms of his feet. His body has been really good. It’s the little things, the details, that he has to work on.”

Jones didn’t expect the transition back to left tackle to be a difficult one, although the lack of experience there the past two seasons was one obstacle he had to overcome in offseason workouts and during camp.

“It was never about being comfortable,” he said. “It’s just the repetition and getting used to being back on that side. That’s all it really is for me, continuing to get reps on the left side.”

Jones will get those reps Thursday and again Saturday night when the Steelers and Buccaneers play the second preseason game. It wouldn’t be surprising if the first-team line played at least the first half. Last year, in the second preseason game, he played 30 of a possible 59 snaps.

The game against Tampa Bay will provide another gauge of how far the line has come since the Steelers first donned pads in camp about three weeks ago.

“I think they’ve gotten better every day,” coach Mike Tomlin said as camp concluded. “Broderick got slowed by a little day-to-day injury there for a spell, but he’s really been on the uptick since his return. Same with Troy. I like the trajectory of the group. Even though we’re leaving here, we still are very much in development. We have a lot of time in front of us between now and the opener.”