Role of Steelers former first-round pick is becoming unclear

The Steelers have used their first-round picks on offensive tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu in back-to-back drafts with the hopes they will become their bookends for the next decade.

However, if Week 2 is a sneak peek of what's to come, that will not be the case, at least for Jones.

Fautanu started the game at right tackle and looked the part, but on Pittsburgh's third offensive series, the team decided to rotate to Jones in what would turn out to be a very poor decision.

In just nine offensive snaps, Jones was penalized three times before being sent back to the bench. His final snap on offense was a hold that wiped out a 50+ yard catch by wide receiver George Pickens.

It was far from what the Steelers were hoping to see from their 2023 first-round pick, but they are to blame for some of Jones' disappointing play, too.

Jones was a raw prospect coming out of Georgia with just a handful of starts. Since being drafted, Pittsburgh has bounced him back and forth between the left and right side of the offensive line, stunting his development at both positions.

The 23-year-old has reiterated several times that he is confident in his abilities to play both sides, but on Sunday, it seemed to finally catch up to him.

"It's definitely frustrating, but you've got to have short memory," Jones said . "Just always, the next play mentality because you don't want it to become repetitive. So you just always got to try and flush it as soon as it happens, and then, just get back on your "A" game."

Following Jones' poor showing in Week 2, it seems like he's headed to the bench with Dan Moore Jr. slated in at left tackle and Fautanu at right. That would leave Jones as the primary backup to both positions, given his experience on both sides.

It's a disappointing turn of events for a first-round pick, but he's not letting his benching affect his mentality.

"Defenders flop. Refs throw flags. That's the end of that," Jones added. "Really not much you can do about it, just next play mentality. Keep going."

Rotating tackles is one of the strangest decisions the Steelers have made, especially in the regular season. It will likely be the last time following their Week 2 debacle.