Pittsburgh sent picks 17 and 120 to New England for No. 14,…
Pittsburgh sent picks 17 and 120 to New England for No. 14, using the move up on tackle Broderick Jones. Jones has started 38 games through three seasons but missed the final six games of 2025 with injury. New England stayed in the first round and drafted Christian Gonzalez, a 2024 second-team All-Pro and 2025 Pro Bowler. The fourth-round asset was later moved, and Gonzalez’s elite cornerback play now gives New England a clear win.
New England Patriots Received
- pick 2023 1st round pick (17th overall, Christian Gonzalez)
- pick 2023 4th round pick (120th overall subsequently traded, Carter Warren)
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 2023 1st round pick (14th overall, Broderick Jones )
Trade Analysis
Pittsburgh traded up in the 2023 first round because it wanted to secure Georgia tackle Broderick Jones before another tackle-needy team could act. The Steelers sent New England picks 17 and 120 for No. 14. Pittsburgh selected Jones, while the Patriots stayed in the first round and chose Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17. New England later moved the fourth-round selection, so the player ultimately taken at No. 120 should not simply be credited as a direct Patriots draft hit.
Jones has given Pittsburgh substantial starting volume. He played all 17 games as a rookie and started 11, then started 16 games in 2024. In 2025 he started all 11 games he played before an injury cost him the final six contests. Through three seasons, he has 38 starts in 45 appearances. Pittsburgh’s offensive line also improved in several protection metrics in 2025, and Jones was charged with only one penalty over 643 snaps that season.
Gonzalez has reached a higher individual level. His rookie season ended after four games, but he returned in 2024 to start 16 contests, intercept two passes and earn Associated Press second-team All-Pro honors. In 2025 he started all 14 games he played, recorded 69 tackles and 10 passes defensed, then started four postseason games and made his first Pro Bowl. He has become the type of matchup corner New England hoped to find when it moved down.
Pittsburgh did not make a bad pick. A young tackle with 38 starts has real value, and Jones remains capable of becoming a long-term answer. The trade is simply judged against what New England obtained while moving down.
The original C+/C grading is now too conservative on the Patriots. Gonzalez’s All-Pro and Pro Bowl résumé warrants an A-, while Pittsburgh’s solid but less distinguished tackle return fits a C+. New England wins clearly because it acquired the better-performing premium-position player and added draft value at the same time.