Broderick Jones NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers' OT

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 311

HAND: 10 5/8"

ARM: 34 3/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

40-YARD DASH: 4.97

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 30"

BROAD: 9'0"

POSITIVES

— Very good raw strength and power with an aggressive, physical demeanor

— Packs heat in his hands, forearms and shoulders to provide thump and displace defenders upon impact in the run game and when uncovered looking for work in pass protection

— Shows very good contact balance and body control to recover against counter moves, and to press and displace rushers off their path and away from their target when they get to his edges

— Creates sudden, jarring force and lift with his hands to dissipate power and find his anchor

— Has the necessary foot quickness and coordination to hook and seal the frontside end on zone runs with excellent movement skills to erase targets on the move as a lead blocker in space

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NEGATIVES

— Erratic footwork, strike timing and posture leads to being too high and/or dipping his head on contact, causing him to quickly lose leverage and get shed off too many blocks

— Low hand carriage in his pass sets with late and wide hand placement allows defenders to establish first meaningful contact and gain control several times a game

— Despite having the strength, power and ability to engulf rushers and anchor on command, being late and wide with hands can lead to him getting blown up by the bull rush (Ex: 2022 vs. Missouri DE Isaiah McGuire)

— Drifts in his pass set when rushers hesitate and stutter, leading to oversetting and being vulnerable to losing against inside moves across his face

— Needs to learn how to refit his hands when rushers attack the corner to locate the hip, regain control and run them by the QB's drop.

2022 STATISTICS

— 15 starts at left tackle

NOTES

— Former 247Sports 5-star tackle and 11th overall recruit in the nation out of Lithonia High School in Lithonia, Georgia.

— 19 career starts, all at left tackle.

— Named first-team All-SEC in 2022 and coaches' freshman All-SEC in 2021.

OVERALL

Broderick Jones started 19 games at Georgia, including 15 during their national championship-winning season in 2022, his first as a full-time starter. Jones has very good arm length with a lean, muscular build and evenly dispersed weight throughout his frame.

Jones is light on his feet and an easy mover who can reach his landmarks in his pass set against wide alignments with the foot quickness and range to protect the corner on an island. He has smooth redirect skills to cover up inside counters and the body control to recover when initially beat. While his foot quicks are starter-caliber, his footwork and use of hands are inconsistent, especially at the top of the drop as he tends to fall off blocks when rushers get even with the QB and break off their rush inside. Jones plays with low hand carriage and is too often wide and late with his hand placement, giving up first meaningful contact and easy access to his frame. This can cause him to be persistently late to anchor against speed to power and the bull rush despite having the raw strength to absorb force on command when his positioning and hands are in sync.

Jones has very good power to create sudden, jarring force at the point of attack as a run-blocker on inside zone and gap concepts while being a weapon on the move as a lead blocker. Jones can engulf defenders on contact with his length and upper-body strength, run his feet and create easy power and displacement. While Jones' movement skills, power and physicality are obvious, he has a bad habit of dipping his head on contact, losing sight of his target and falling off too many blocks. He also has erratic strike timing and hand placement, causing him to be late, wide and/or high at the point of attack, allowing defenders to work under and inside of him too easily. When his hands land tight and inside he can create lift and easy movement, but it isn't consistent or reliable at this point.

Overall, Jones is a fluid athlete with excellent natural power and a rugged, tone-setting demeanor in the run and pass game. He needs considerable refinement in his use of hands, posture/hat placement and overall ability to stay attached to blocks, making him a potential impact player as a rookie with the physical traits to develop into a plus starter within his first contract.

GRADE: 8.1 (Year 1 Starter)

OVERALL RANK: 19

POSITION RANK: OT2

PRO COMPARISON: D.J. Humphries

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn