Charlie Batch Believes Steelers Rookie Broderick Jones Will Be A Week 1 Starter

As the days count down to the official start of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, all the talk revolves around the different position battles that will be happening at St. Vincent College. This is a unique camp considering the amount of work done by the Pittsburgh trifecta of Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin and Andy Weidl. There is no quarterback competition this year, but there is a first-round pick getting plenty of attention: Broderick Jones. Everyone is anxious to see who is at that left tackle spot when the season begins, and everybody has their own take on the position.

Steelers Can't Expect Dan Moore Jr. To Roll Over

When a player has started 33 of the last 34 games since 2021, he most likely feels some ownership of the position. Moore Jr. has enjoyed that consistency in Pittsburgh, but it isn't his availability that's being called into question.

It's nearly impossible to bring up the Steelers' offense in 2022 without also mentioning Matt Canada, the Offensive Coordinator, and weak link. When it comes to the Moore Jr. situation, Canada also plays a role. When the offense being called has no margin for error, any error becomes egregious. Moore committed ten penalties in 2022, with five of them coming on third or fourth down. The Canada-led offense from last year had a huge issue maintaining momentum, so when a penalty occurs on those late downs, it hamstrings the team even more.

Enter Jones, who spent his college playing time at the University of Georgia. He was never called for holding in his entire collegiate career, only had two false starts and managed to only allow just two sacks as well. The mixture of clean play and a clean quarterback makes Moore Jr.'s spot on thin ice, especially when he allowed seven sacks in 2022 alone.

So, when Steelers' training camp begins on July 27th, all eyes will be on Jones to see how his pristine college resume translates to an NFL football field. If it is anything close to the results he got at Georgia, Moore Jr. will find himself looking inside from the outside faster than he believes. Moore Jr. spoke with The Athletic and was confident about his situation and seemed determined to just do his job and let the work speak for itself.

“All I can do is to control what I can control. That’s just showing up every day trying to get better. So that’s the mindset that I had previously. And that’s the mindset that I’ll continue to have each and every day.”

That may not be enough for him when going against Jones, and even if the change doesn't come immediately, it's becoming more likely that several weeks in the left tackle spot will be Jones' to lose.

Steelers' Charlie Batch Throws His Hat In Jones' Ring

From 2002-2012, Charlie Batch was a fan favorite in Pittsburgh as one of the most reliable and consistent backups in the league. His sideline smile and ability to enter a game without jarring the offense made him someone whose voice you listened to when he gave opinions. Being outside of the game for some time now, training camp is all about joy and hope rather than the grueling road to the season. He sees the battle between Jones and Moore Jr. as one of the key focus points for everyone to watch as camp progresses.

Batch was on Steelers All-Access with Bob Pompeo to look ahead to what camp will bring and he didn't hesitate to give his view on the left tackle spot and who will be in possession of it when the season starts.

“I think the key battle is gonna be that left tackle position, Dan Moore Jr. and, of course, Broderick Jones. Everybody expects him [Jones] to be a Day 1 starter, an opening day starter. He should get the majority of the starting reps.”

When the Steelers take a tackle in the first round, which is something they hadn't done since 1996 (Jamain Stephens), the expectation is that he will start. As much as Moore Jr. will come to camp and do his job diligently, it's hard to imagine that he can improve his game to the point where it overshadows Jones.

While Moore Jr. certainly is hoping for a miracle of sorts to occur, or for Jones to turn out to be a hidden bust, the truth is more bleak for the longtime starter. Batch, however, sees the positive that will come from the switch at left tackle. By having Jones get starting reps early and often, the unit that starts on Day 1 will have had time to gel and become cohesive. For second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett, that will be a huge plus.

“So, if you get to that point, it’s gonna be interesting to see all those guys gelling up front. And if they can bring that veteran experience, Broderick Jones bringing the experience of what he did at Georgia, man, this is gonna be an exciting offensive line to watch!”

How soon will Broderick Jones overtake Dan Moore Jr.?