Steelers are playing a dangerous game with Broderick Jones

Actions speak louder than words, and the Pittsburgh Steelers said the quiet part out loud with their 2024 first-round pick.

Pittsburgh spent the No. 20 overall selection of this year's NFL Draft on offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, who primarily lines up on the left side. The former Washington Husky earned the Joe Moore Award in his final season of college, given to the top lineman in the nation. But what about Steelers 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones? He plays the same position -- or at least he was initially brought in to fill that role. 

Recent reporting from the Steelers' organized team activities (OTAs) indicates the organization is toeing a fine line.

Steelers are playing a dangerous game with Broderick Jones

Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot disclosed that the Steelers are deploying Jones at both left and right tackle in the early portion of OTAs. He adds that the team is "uncertain" regarding where they want the former Georgia Bulldog to line up, which has given him an "uneasy" feeling.

The Steelers drafted Jones last year to be their long-term blindside protector. He operated "nearly exclusively at left tackle throughout training camp and preseason," as Kozora points out, which carried into the 2023 campaign. 

Jones logged his first 121 regular-season snaps as a pro at left tackle. But an injury to Chukwuma Okorafor prompted the Steelers to slide the former to the right side -- where he remained for the rest of the year.

While it was initially out of necessity, the Steelers draft Fautanu does Jones no favors. Despite this, Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan has stated the team anticipates him eventually returning to the left tackle spot.

However, the Steelers have also experimentally used Fautanu as a right tackle during OTAs. Overall, it is a very confusing and messy situation, and Pittsburgh is playing a dangerous game. Instead of playing musical chairs along their offensive line with both him and Jones, let them get as many reps as possible playing one position.

Jones struggled as a rookie, earning a 60.7 overall Pro Football Focus grade. But the Steelers are only making it even harder for him to adjust to the NFL in the early stages of his career.