Broderick Jones, OT Georgia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Jones was a five-star recruit from Lithonia High School in Lithonia, Ga. in the class of 2020

Georgia left tackle Broderick Jones is the least polished member of the consensus top three tackles in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, his build, power, and scheme transcendent athletic profile suggest he has the highest ceiling of the bunch.

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Broderick Jones, OT Georgia: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore left tackle from Lithonia, Ga.

Background: Jones was a five-star recruit from Lithonia High School in Lithonia, Ga. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 11 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 5 for Rivals, and No. 9 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 9th in the nation with a 91 grade out of 100. Jones earned a spot in the 2020 Under Armour All-America Game. The Georgia Sports Writers Association and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution unanimously named him to the 2019 Class 5A First-Team All-State offense. During his senior year, Lithonia’s offense averaged 282.4 yards per game. Jones amassed 11 pancake blocks on offense along with 17 tackles, including five tackles for loss with four sacks, as a defensive tackle. He was a 2019 AJC Super 11 selection. As a high school junior, he earned 2018 All-USA Georgia First-Team offense honors from USA Today and was voted a Class 5A First-Team selection by the Georgia Association of Coaches. Jones also played varsity basketball.

Injuries & Off-Field: Injured leg in a 2020 motorbike accident

Awards: 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team, 2022 First-Team All-SEC (Associated Press)

Pros: Some experience playing right tackle in addition to left tackle, rarely penalized, arm length and wingspan, room to add mass to his frame, good initial quickness off the snap, sometimes steps to take the air out of the pass rush, powerful arm extensions drive defenders back, lateral agility, foot speed to mirror pass rushers up the arc, keeps feet moving through contact, maintains a low pad level in the run game, power to seal or wash out defenders in the run game, creates some vertical displacement in the run game, movement skills to land blocks in space or at the second level

Cons: Lower half is somewhat lean, knees bend inward coming out of his stance, inconsistent base, carries hands low which allows defenders into his chest, hand placement is sometimes wide, hand placement is inaccurate, high pad level in pass pro, leans on defenders to maintain balance, waist bender, attempts to anchor while too high in stance, struggles to protect his inside shoulder because of oversetting, plays frantic and out of control at times, inconsistent clamping and manipulating defenders, defenders frequently slip off his blocks, ducks head into contact, not a mauler, plenty of reps where he fails to generate displacement in the run game, highly inconsistent drive-to-drive

Overview: Jones took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6053 and weighs 311 lbs. He has 10 5/8-inch hands, 34 6/8-inch arms, and an 82 6/8-inch wingspan. Jones has some experience playing right tackle but played left tackle for the vast majority of his college career. His arm length, wingspan, and hand size are all very impressive physical tools. Jones has room to add mass to his frame, especially in his lean lower half. He is quick off the snap, sometimes stepping to take the air out of the pass rush. His powerful arm extensions drive defenders back in the run and pass game. Jones’ lateral agility and foot speed help him mirror pass rushers up the arc. The redshirt sophomore keeps his feet moving through contact and maintains a low pad level in the run game. He has the power to seal or wash out defenders when fighting to create rushing lanes. Jones creates some vertical displacement in the run game, but there are plenty of snaps where he fails to uproot the defender. The Georgia native’s movement skills and mobility allow him to operate on long pulls and land blocks at the second level. Jones’ knees flex inward as he releases from his initial stance, which is one of many technical flaws he needs to correct.  His base is inconsistent because of poor footwork. Jones carries his hands low, which allows defenders into his chest. His hand placement is inaccurate, often landing wide or high. The former five-star recruit’s high pad level in pass protection only escalates issues with his footwork and hand placement. Jones frequently leans on defenders to maintain balance and bends at the waist. He attempts to anchor while sitting too high in his stance. The AP All-SEC selection puts his inside shoulder in danger by oversetting in pass protection. He plays frantic and out of control at times as his feet and hands aren’t synched up yet. Jones’ clamp is inconsistent, making it difficult for him to manipulate defenders. Defenders frequently slip off Jones’ blocks. The left tackle makes matters worse by ducking his head into contact. Despite his strength and size, Jones isn’t a mauler. He’s very inconsistent drive-to-drive.

Overall, Jones is still a developmental prospect surviving with more raw tools than technique, but he has the physical potential to become the top tackle in the 2023 draft class. Jones’ hand usage and footwork are significantly behind the preferred thresholds for top ten selections. His best football is two or three years away.

Role & Scheme Fit: Scheme transcendent athlete at left tackle

Round Projection: Late First Round

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-26-23