As Chris Hubbard has likely priced himself out of a continuing backup role with the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the offseason, that has only placed greater emphasis on the future and continued development of Jerald Hawkins, the team’s second-year tackle product out of LSU taken in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
The year of 2017 didn’t get off to a great start for him, however. He began it recovering from shoulder surgery, and that was followed by a mixed showing in the offseason and even all through training camp and the preseason.