Continuing our series looking at the biggest storylines by position group as the Steelers prepare for training camp at the end of July. In this entry, we’ll look at the offensive line and then switch to defense and look at the defensive line.
Offensive Line: Who will start at left tackle Week 1?
While the backup center situation is worth monitoring, there’s no doubt that the biggest storyline is whether first-round pick Broderick Jones will beat out Dan Moore Jr. and win the starting left tackle job. Moore wasn’t great as a rookie but got better last season. By no means is a top-tier left tackle, but he got better as the year went on and proved to be a decent option at the position.
Ultimately, Pittsburgh felt they could improve and thus traded up to take Jones at 14th overall. Jones is a beast in the run game, an athletic mauler who does damage out in space. But his technique on his pass sets needs work, as he tends to drop his hands and allow defenders to get the initial punch and leverage. That’s probably his biggest flaw right now, and it’s surely something that Pat Meyer is working with him on. If Jones sorts his technique out, he could end up being really good.
At some point, I think it’s inevitable Jones starts over Moore this year. But if the team feels more comfortable with Moore going up against a spate of talented pass rushers in Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett and Chandler Jones early in the season, Jones is going to have to wait. I think it all comes down to how comfortable the team will feel with his improvements in his technique.
At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked with either decision but what would shock me is if Jones doesn’t end up starting at least a few games in 2023.
Defensive Line: Can Larry Ogunjobi rush the passer more effectively?
Dealing with injuries last season, Ogunjobi totaled just 1.5 sacks. He was effective against the run, but for a player with 20.5 sacks the four years prior, 1.5 sacks was a little bit disappointing. But Ogunjobi played well enough to be rewarded with a new contract, and for that deal to look like a good one his sack numbers need to improve. He had a career-low 11 pressures, so it wasn’t as if he was getting to the quarterback and not finishing the job, he just struggled getting pressure.
Now that he’s healthy, I’d expect Ogunjobi to contribute more. I’m not even looking for double-digit sacks, but if he can chip in with four or five, the Pittsburgh pass rush becomes a lot more potent. I think Ogunjobi will be better and I’m confident that he’ll bring a lot to the Steelers. He still managed to be productive thanks to his work stopping the run last season, contributing seven tackles for a loss, but it just makes the Steelers better if he can generate some pass rush juice alongside Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
It’s not unreasonable to expect given he’s shown in the past he can rush the passer, and his progression provides a big boost to a defensive line that also features Heyward and rookie Keeanu Benton. It’s going to be a fun group to watch with a lot of depth options as well, but Ogunjobi becoming more of a threat is something I want to watch for.
