Mike Tomlin details deal with Patriots, Bill Belichick that let Steelers ruin the Jets' draft plans
The Pittsburgh Steelers were elated to land former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Broderick Jones in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The franchise traded up with an infamous AFC rival in the New England Patriots, jumping the New York Jets for the rights to select Jones with the No. 14 overall pick in a move that’s become the center of some drama in recent weeks. Many are pointing fingers at Bill Belichick, believing the leader of the Patriots agreed to the deal with Pittsburgh in order to screw the Jets on draft night.
Nevertheless, the Steelers are the beneficiary, and they landed the player they had their eyes on, but that isn’t stopping Mike Tomlin from adding some fuel to the fire. According to Tomlin, there “wasn’t a lot of hesitation” from New England when it came to keeping Jones from New York.
“We were speculating [that the Jets were targeting Jones] there,” Tomlin told Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show. “There was a run on the position starting, I think, with [Chicago Bears pick] Darnell Wright at about 10 and they were coming off pretty clean. And we had that as a position of priority and we had Broderick, as an individual, as a priority. We knew that [New York], with Aaron Rodgers, might be fishing in those waters.
“I’m not gonna delve into the relationship between New England and the Jets. Let’s just say I’m glad we found a partner … I’ll put it this way. There wasn’t a lot of hesitation on New England’s end.”
After the move was made, the Patriots selected former Oregon star defensive back Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick, while the Jets made former Iowa State pass rusher Will McDonald IV their newest addition along the defensive line with the No. 15 overall pick. While all three teams may be happy with their picks now, the Steelers are feeling like they made out like a bandit in getting Jones.
The former Georgia offensive lineman would’ve been a huge get for New York. He could’ve helped keep freshly-minted Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers off the ground next season. Instead, he’ll look to help develop Pittsburgh’s new-look, youthful offense led by Kenny Pickett over the next couple of seasons.
Time will tell who got the best end of the deal over the course of the 2023 season, but the drama between AFC East rivals, where the Steelers benefitted greatly, will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.