A year ago, I was biting my nails about newly signed OG James Daniels. Tuesday, it was smooth sailing. Pittsburgh’s prized free agent in the 2022 offseason, Daniels had a turbulent summer. It’s hard to blame him. Not only was he adjusting to a new team, he was adjusting to a new scheme under OL Coach Pat Meyer. Daniels wasn’t alone. Nearly the entire Steelers’ offensive line, sans the seemingly unflappable Chukwuma Okorafor, had severe growing pains changing their technique to fit what Meyer wanted.
Yesterday? It made 2022 a summer to look back and laugh about. Twice, Daniels went up against Larry Ogunjobi in offensive line/defensive line, 1v1 reps. Twice, he won with ease, handling Ogunjobi’s bull rush the first rep and then winning the next, knocking Ogujobi down at the end.
No joke, Daniels looked stronger in these two reps than he did in any reps he had 1v1 last camp. My two notes from yesterday’s report:
7. James Daniels shows great anchor against Larry Ogunjobi for an easy win.
8. Daniels takes the rematch as he pushes Ogunjobi down at the end of the rep.
It should come as no surprise. After a tough start, Daniels finally got comfortable doing what Meyer wanted and by midseason, he looked like a far better player. By season’s end, he played like a good guard and the team’s top offensive lineman. What Meyer teaches isn’t 1:1 but it’s relatively unique. He wants ultra-aggressive pass sets, not in the “go hit someone sense” but with the lineman’s punch and their feet. Never giving ground, stepping forward on “on-body” sets with defenders aligned over you. Meyer’s philosophy is that if you lose a rep, it’s because you weren’t aggressive enough. There’s a risk to it, the desire to win immediately, and it runs counter to an offensive lineman’s mentality of playing it a little safer and giving himself time to recover.
Last August, I pointed out the issues Daniels was dealing with in pass protection. For him, his hands were too wide, he wasn’t winning early with first significant contact, and his sets weren’t aggressive enough.
With time, reps, and mistakes, Daniels got better. He’s admitted as much, noting his newfound comfort. Entering 2023, that’s all behind him and he can focus on the nuances of his technique and the little things to take his game to new heights. He and the other returning linemen can now be teachers, not just students, and help bring guys like Nate Herbig, Broderick Jones, and Isaac Seumalo up to speed. It’ll lessen their learning curve.
In the prime of his career with size, strength, and athleticism, Daniels has a chance to become one of the league’s better guards. It may take time to earn that type of recognition — there is a media-lag in recognizing emerging offensive line play — but he could have a career year.
