Name: Broderick Jones
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Georgia
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 311 lbs
Games watched: vs. South Carolina (2022), vs. Georgia Tech (2022), vs. Oregon (2022), vs. Tennessee (2021)

Broderick Jones heads to the NFL as one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in this class, with two national championships to his name. You didn’t hear about Jones too much, which is usually good for an offensive lineman. He started 19 games at left tackle for Georgia, the final four of 2021 and all 15 of 2022. He did not allow a sack in his redshirt sophomore campaign. The Bulldogs also finished second in the voting for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in the country.

At this point, Jones seems like a lock for the first-round and could even wind up coming off the board in the top 15 of the 2023 NFL draft. He will be the latest in-state prospect to move from Georgia to the pros. With 1st-team All-SEC honors this past season, the former five-star recruit seems to be hitting his stride at the right time. It is easy to think of progression as linear for young athletes, while in reality player development is wildly unpredictable. That being said, there is a lot to like about Jones’ long-term potential.

Pros

Jones is a fluid mover. He has an excellent first step off the line and looks very comfortable in his pass block slide kick. A lot of that boils down to his polished footwork. He has very heavy hands to control opposing linemen. He handles pass rush stunts well and does a nice job getting out into space on screen plays. One of the small things that really stood out to me was his ability to locate defenders while he was out in space. So often, linemen will simply run downfield and hit anyone in their path. Jones will actively seek out trailing defenders. For a player that has fewer than 20 career college starts, he is a pretty savvy blocker. He handles overly aggressive edge rushers well, especially against the run. Jones also does a nice job setting the edge on outside zone plays. He is a natural athlete with room to add to his frame. His upper body strength is apparent when you watch him play, often dominating quality competition.

Cons

For as powerful as Jones already is, he needs to spend more time in the weight room. There is room to add weight to his frame, particularly in his lower body. He will need that added mass to anchor against the best the NFL has to offer. While he does a nice job as a pass blocker, he is susceptible to inside rush moves. Much of that can come down to his hand usage and coaching. It is something that you see with a lot of college tackles. He has room to improve pad level in the run game, sometimes playing a bit too upright. He will need to clean up his hand usage a bit as well.

Synopsis

Jones checks every box when it comes to the intangibles you want in an offensive tackle prospect. He has great length (34.75-inch arms) and a great frame to build around. He is a little bit light at 311 pounds for a 6’5″ left tackle, but I think he will be able to add to that. He has really strong technique as a pass blocker and the makings of a good run blocker. He went up against some great competition in the SEC. I believe he will be capable of competing for a starting job from Day 1 and that he has the potential to be a perennial All-Pro with the right coaching. He played in a pro style offense at Georgia under Todd Monken. It would be the best fit for him, but he can definitely be scheme versatile. The only place I could see him struggling up front would be in a power run scheme.

Ideal scheme fit: West Coast or Outside Zone-heavy offense

Grade: 87.5

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