Steelers may replace former 1st-round pick with rookie after just 3 seasons
Things certainly seem to be trending this way.
Steelers may replace former 1st-round pick with rookie after just 3 seasons originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Pittsburgh Steelers used a first-round pick in 2023 on Broderick Jones.
This year, they used a first-rounder on the guy who might replace him. Pittsburgh brought in Max Iheanachor, another tackle, with the 21st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Given Jones' injury troubles, that could be writing on the wall in Pittsburgh.
"Mere days before the draft, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jones had suffered a setback while recovering from his neck injury, and that his 2026 training camp and Week 1 availability were in question," ESPN's Ben Solak wrote in a new article on Wednesday . "Then the Steelers selected Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round (admittedly after trying and failing to draft a receiver). One week later, the Steelers declined Jones' fifth-year option.
" MORE: Shilo Sanders under fire for telling female reporter to 'make a sandwich' That certainly all sounds like a situation where the Steelers are preparing for a change. "Jones' play was already shaky enough that an early pick on a developmental tackle would have been more than justified," Solak writes. "His 85.