Twice.
Over the span of two hours of observing Broderick Jones, the Steelers' top pick in the NFL Draft, on this first day of rookie minicamp Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, I swear I saw the kid's face strain into a smile a total of two times.
This was one, when I'd asked him after the session how it felt to partake in an actual NFL thing:
"Yeah, man, it feels great, you know," he'd reply with the briefest of beams as he looked back across the field. "Just being out here with the guys, you know, grinding and getting it in. I'm just ready to get it going, see what everybody's got, see what I can do and, you know, make it work. ... Man, it's good. I’ve been waiting to get here. All the hype's over. I’m in the building now. It’s definitely real now, just being here in the facility with the pads on, learning new things and just trying to figure it out.”
The other smile came a few minutes later when Jones stole a glance nearby at his bud Darnell Washington being surrounded by reporters.
"That's my guy, man."
Otherwise, though, that was it. From 10:30 a.m. till 11:45, he laser-locked onto every drill, every teammate's drill and seemingly every syllable that came from Pat Meyer, the offensive line coach who rightly spent an imbalanced amount of his morning with the new prized pupil. All business. Stoic as a statue.
There's next to nothing to cull from a football standpoint at these events. Really. The only field activity that occurs is tantamount to a light walkthrough applying no more than an index card's worth of Xs and Os. Everyone's in shorts. No one's breaking a sweat even on a sun-splashed, 80-degree steamer of a day like this.
One takes what one can get. That's what I got.
Oh, and also this: Whatever comes his way this summer, fall and winter, he'll be more than up to it above the neck, to borrow a Mike Tomlin favorite.
On his mindset regarding having to win a job at training camp, with Dan Moore Jr. still in the fold as incumbent two-year starter: "I have the mindset of coming in ready to work. "I'm not looking forward to winning the job right now. My biggest focus is coming in and doing the best I can do. Learning the playbook and being the best version of me."
On whether or not he'd heard the previous night that the Steelers' opener will be against the 49ers and, thus, with Nick Bosa lining up across from him: "Yeah … Nick Bosa and the 49ers. Something to prepare for. Something to look forward to. Put my best foot forward every day working toward that day. Just trying to get to that point and be the best version of me."
On how he'll respond to facing another recent NFL Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt, and Alex Highsmith in practices: "I'm looking forward to everything, man. I'm just looking forward to getting to work. Those guys are going to push me to make me better. End of the day, win, lose or draw, I'll be ready."
He's monstrous at 6 feet 5, 311 pounds, yet athletically chiseled from top to bottom. His calfs alone were bigger than some wide receivers' thighs. He moves fluidly enough, even in a setting like this, that it's easy to forget about the size.
I liked this acquisition at the time. The hard, obvious aim at left tackle. The trade up to No. 14. The choice. But I'm beyond liking it now. I'm seeing someone who can care for Kenny Pickett's blind side, collapse the edge for Najee Harris' runs, even stray well off the line to spring a sweep for Calvin Austin III. And maybe more than anything, I'm seeing someone who'll be a consummate pro about it. Not to be mean here, but I'm seeing someone who looks and sounds so very different from most of the offensive linemen this team's employed since the end of the Maurkice Pouncey era. Someone who'll take a long-term stranglehold on a position that demands precisely that level of productivity and that attitude.
Feel free to do all his smiling for him, Pittsburgh.
KARL ROSER / STEELERS
Broderick Jones works through a drill Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
• Yes, he'll beat out Moore. Stop that at once. Don't even start it.
As I reported in this week's Point Park University Friday Insider, Moore will be moved back and forth between the two tackle spots to enhance his ability to back up at both positions. This won't get declared until it's needed, but there's no duel. And the same, very obviously, will apply to Isaac Seumalo forcing Kevin Dotson into the same status.
• My goodness, Darnell Washington's a terrifying sight for a tight end at 6-7, 269 pounds. I'd like to think I've learned how to discern upon seeing a football player which position he plays. It'll never happen with this kid.
Seriously ...
KARL ROSER / STEELERS
Darnell Washington runs through a drill Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
... that up there is a tight end.
• And by the way, that up there also is a tight end who didn't appear to be inhibited in any way by the knee issue that kept all 32 teams -- Steelers, too -- from drafting him through the first 92 picks. Doesn't take a medical degree to determine that's a positive.
• Joey Porter Jr.'s day is covered by Chris Halicke.
• Keeanu Benton's day is covered by Corey Crisan.
• Ten total players signed, by Crisan.
• Nothing but sap here, but it was wonderful to be out on those fields on such a golden day. Even more so since this team feels like it's fostering real hope for the first time in a little too long.
• This minicamp runs through Sunday, but the Saturday session will be the only other one open to media. Halicke and Crisan will take the second day, which gets going at 10:30 a.m.
