2023 NFL mock draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select Georgia OT Broderick Jones

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a special team. While they haven’t been truly relevant in the AFC title race since 2016—they’re 0-3 in the playoffs since—they have managed to stay competitive in those lean year. Last season, in particular, was a triumph. Expected to take a significant step back in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers clawed their way to 9-8, avoiding a losing season by going 7-2 in the final nine games. It has now been an even 20 years since the Steelers have finished with a losing record.

In our 2023 NFL Community Mock Draft—in which Pride of Detroit commenters act as general manager—commenter DoesPlayHePlayDT is acting as the Steelers general manager. Before we get into their pick, here’s how the board has fallen with the first 16 picks:

No. 1: Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
No. 2: Houston Texans, C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
No. 3: Arizona Cardinals, Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
No. 4: Indianapolis Colts, Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
No. 5: Seattle Seahawks, Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
No. 6: Detroit Lions, Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
No. 8: Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
No. 9: Chicago Bears: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
No. 10: Philadelphia Eagles: Bryan Breese, EDGE, Clemson
No. 11: Tennessee Titans: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
No. 12: Houston Texans: Paris Johnson Jr., OL, Ohio State
No. 13: New York Jets: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
No. 14: New England Patriots: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
No. 15: Green Bay Packers: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
No. 16: Washington Commanders: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

With the 17th pick in the Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Broderick Jones, offensive tackle out of Georgia.

Here’s ButCanHePlayDT with their ridiculous explanation for the pick:

“Broderick Jones is a lot like the Pride of Detroit staff’s collective love life: his over eagerness for physical contact sometimes results in awkward technique that needs to be bailed out by a well-polished hand grip.

“Jones has a tendency to neglect his chest, sort of like Chris Perfett at an all-you-can sushi buffet. Broderick’s issues with imbalance give Mike Payton’s wavering on Jared Goff’s franchise QB status a run for the money. And a lot of this can be attributed to his inexperience—with a mere 19 starts under the belt, Jones has all the prepubescent charm of Hamza Baccouche.

“But much like Jeremy Reisman’s ridiculous mustache, Jones possesses raw physical gifts that shield some of his more stomach-churning blemishes. Thanks to his elite speed (4.98 forty time), Jones can finish blocks quicker than a Pride Of Detroit moderator on a COVID article circa 2021. This athletic prowess allows Jones to successfully move through multiple waves of attack (unlike Erik Schlitt trying to put his kids down for bedtime).

“Thanks to playing with flashier college teammates like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, Broderick Jones sometimes gets lost in the shuffle in his role as the proverbial Ryan Mathews of the Georgia Bulldog draft class.

“Big mistake. Huge. Jones could very well be the best offensive tackle in the 2023 draft. How he fell to 17th speaks volumes to how ridiculous the comment section of this silly little website really is.”

How did ButCanHePlayDT do? Vote on his selection of Broderick Jones below.

The Detroit Lions are back on the clock!