Broderick Jones answers pass-rush criticism with huge bounce back

Early in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, offensive tackle Broderick Jones seemed to be in a tailspin during pass-protection drills. Coming off a challenging few seasons and a scary neck injury, Jones struggled to anchor against edge defenders, raising serious questions about his technique and readiness.

But during Pittsburgh’s high-energy Saturday night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium, the former first-round pick delivered a thunderous response.

After days of visible frustration in one-on-one periods, Jones completely flipped the script with an authoritative performance up front.

“Whenever he was in the one-on-one pass pro drills, he was getting destroyed,” analyst Christopher Carter noted on his “Locked on Steelers” podcast.

“When I say destroyed, I mean Alex Highsmith was just running around him. Nick Herbig, he couldn’t touch Nick Herbig. Jack Sawyer was beating him. It just looked like [Broderick] Jones had lost all of his sauce when it came to pass protection. But Saturday night that changed. I saw two reps of his, and man, he looks much, much better,” added Carter.

Jones showcased both lateral quickness and explosive power to neutralize the pass rush. On his first highlight rep, he anticipated a speed rush from Nick Herbig, winning the race to the edge before planting the linebacker into the turf.

On the next snap, rookie Jack Sawyer attempted to convert speed to power, only for Jones to sink his hips, stone the rusher at the contact point, and completely erase the play, celebrating the win with an energized WWE-style taunt.

With offensive tackle Max Iheanachor sidelined due to injury, Jones’ sudden rebound arrives at a critical juncture for the offensive line depth chart. While two dominant reps do not instantly wipe away early camp concerns, they demonstrate the foundational physical traits that made Jones a high-ceiling draft choice. If he can build consistency off Saturday’s breakthrough, Pittsburgh’s trench depth will be in far better shape.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Broderick Jones answers pass-rush criticism with huge bounce back