Mark Madden's Hot Take: The Steelers have set up Broderick Jones to fail

This season isn’t a proving ground for third-year tackle Broderick Jones.

It’s a proving ground for how the Steelers have developed Jones.

So far, the Steelers have mangled it.

The Steelers traded up to the 14th pick and took Jones in the 2023 draft. He was seen as a bit of a project, having started just 19 games at Georgia.

He started those games at left tackle.

The Steelers drafted Jones to play left tackle.

Except he didn’t.

Veteran respect moved Jones to right tackle and kept ham-and-egger Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle.

Jones wouldn’t have started last season but for a torn knee ligament suffered by Troy Fautanu. Fautanu, 2024’s first-round pick, beat out Jones at right tackle but saw his year end when he got injured in practice following a Week 2 win at Denver.

Jones’ second NFL season had barely begun, and he’d gone from heralded first-round choice to bench-warming swing tackle to starting only because somebody got hurt.

That had to mess with his mind and progress.

Moore did fine. He signed a four-year, $82 million contract with Tennessee this past March 13.

If you think Moore’s deal justifies the Steelers starting him the past two seasons, then it’s logical to say the Steelers should have paid him and kept him. (But Moore allowed 12 sacks last season, most in the NFL.)

Moore is a Titan. Jones is finally the Steelers’ left tackle.

Jones was a hot mess and injured for training camp’s early going. But he’s looked better recently, specifically when the Steelers donned pads.

Players are responsible for their own success/failure.

But it’s no reach to say that Jones would be further along had the Steelers put him at left tackle sooner. The job he prefers, and the job Jones was specifically drafted to do.

Fautanu is healthy and starting at right tackle.

But, after last season’s injury, he’s the equivalent of a rookie. Jones is playing his first NFL season at left tackle.

There’s no learning curve. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 41 with lots of football IQ but limited mobility.

It looks like mammoth tight end Darnell Washington (6-foot-7, 264 pounds) will spend lots of snaps lining up next to Jones (6-5, 311).

That’s an imposing wall of flesh, but doesn’t indicate much faith in Jones.

The Steelers have set up Jones to fail to the point where they’re hedging against it.