The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a good job rebuilding their offensive line in recent years. They’ve spent a lot of draft capital there, and most of it has panned out so far. Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick all look like solid players. However, not all the young players along the Steelers’ offensive line have blossomed. Broderick Jones’ career hasn’t been great so far, and, as a result, analyst Mike Renner believes his position is the Steelers’ biggest need after quarterback.

“I think it’s left tackle,” Renner said recently on his Pushing the Pile podcast. “I think this team has seen what Broderick Jones is, and it’s time to admit that he is not the future of the left tackle position. Or at least admit that you need to have an insurance plan if he continues to play the way he has for most of his career.

“It’s a good roster outside of that. It’s not a great roster, but it’s a roster that does not have a lot of holes after what they did at wide receiver and cornerback. If they want to ride this one year with Aaron Rodgers, getting a left tackle in this draft is probably where I would look.”

Jones was the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2023, and they actually traded up to select him. He was the team’s first draft pick with Omar Khan as general manager, too. Taking him was a sign that the Steelers were committed to improving in the trenches.

Unfortunately, Jones’ development wasn’t handled well to begin his career. He was raw coming out of Georgia, having a lot of good traits, but he didn’t have a ton of experience. While he had a lot of potential, the Steelers didn’t let him get settled at one position. They flipped him back and forth between left and right tackle for the first few years of his career.

That likely hindered Jones’ development. He was a more natural left tackle, but they kept trying to make him work on the right side. Jones finally moved back to the left side full-time last year. While he didn’t look awful, he still didn’t take a big step forward.

Now, it’s unclear what Jones’ future in Pittsburgh will be. He suffered an injury in Week 12 that knocked him out for the season. The Steelers aren’t sure when he’ll be ready to play again, either.

That leaves them with even more questions at left tackle. Dylan Cook ended the season starting there for the Steelers, and he looked good in limited action. However, that was also his first shot playing in actual NFL games. It might not be wise to put all their eggs in that basket.

Luckily, the Steelers have a lot of draft capital. They should have an opportunity to add to their offensive tackle room, whether that’s with a high pick or later on Day 2 or 3. Even if Jones is healthy, though, it might be time for the Steelers to accept that a change at left tackle could be coming sooner rather than later.