The Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to rebuild their offensive line for a while now, going back to when Ben Roethlisberger was in the final years of his playing career. It is well known in the National Football League that Super Bowls are won in two places: the defensive and offensive lines.
The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a very good defense. They’ve spent the past few years using high draft picks on the offensive line, bringing in young and athletic prospects.
At left tackle, Broderick Jones, a former first round pick (14th overall in 2023) will be entering his third year as a starter. Jones’s first two years as a starter have had their ups and downs, he started his NFL career at right tackle as the team went with Dan Moore on the left side. Most of the criticism of Jones’s play could be easily attributed to the fact that he has been misused for the past two years. Steelers general manager Omar Khan told the media that next season Jones will be brought back to his original position at left tackle. The Steelers are hoping that the third-year veteran will continue to get better and settle in on the left side.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most inexperienced offensive lines in football. The only real “veteran” they have is Super Bowl champion Isaac Seumalo, who is 31 years of age. Seumalo, who is a left guard, had been a staple for the Philadelphia Eagles for many years before he walked in free agency and signed with Pittsburgh. Seumalo is a veteran body who evens out the room of a very young offensive line that lacks experience. Behind Seumalo, they have Spencer Anderson, who was drafted in the seventh round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arguably the most significant piece of the offensive line is center Zach Frazier. Frazier, 23, was drafted in the second round in the 2024 NFL Draft. Of 737 snaps taken last season, Frazier only had one holding penalty. The second-year center could be possible cornerstone for the Pittsburgh Steelers considering they’ve been looking for the replacement for future Hall of Famer Maurkice Pouncey.
At right guard, they have Mason McCormick, 24 years old and a 4th round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCormick originally was brough in as a backup but after injuries to numerous starters last year, McCormick took his opportunity and absolutely ran with it.
The most glaring question mark for me would be right tackle Troy Fautanu. Fautanu who was taken with the 20th overall pick, was on the trajectory to have a very solid rookie season before dislocating his kneecap, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
The Steelers have put a lot of of money and draft picks into the offensive line. Now with a little bit of luck and a good coaching job by Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer, there’s no reason why this young group of men cannot become one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.