Pittsburgh Steelers rookie OL Spencer Anderson drew rave reviews out of training camp for his intellect and his positional versatility. Head coach Mike Tomlin commended Anderson for his positional versatility coming out of college, stating how it helps the Steelers’ cause by rounding out depth along the offensive line as well as helps Anderson’s cause by providing more value to make the 53-man roster. That versatility was on display in Anderson’s first preseason game, playing 13 snaps at right guard, 17 snaps at left guard, and seven snaps at right tackle.
When attempting to fill out depth along the offensive line, versatility is a key attribute. You want your backups to be position-versatile, having the skill set to come in and play multiple spots rather than being fixed to one position. It appears that Anderson has that ability in an eerily similar fashion to another former Steelers offensive lineman.
That player is Chris Hubbard, who played for Pittsburgh from 2013-2017. Anderson and Hubbard’s stories match up pretty well as Hubbard was undrafted out of UAB in 2014 while Anderson was taken with one of the final picks in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hubbard started games at guard and tackle during his time in college, much like Anderson did at Maryland. Hubbard ended up not making the team after initial cuts, getting placed on the team’s practice squad.
Hubbard bounced on and off the roster until 2016 when he played in 15 games for the Steelers, starting four of them at right tackle after RT Marcus Gilbert got hurt. He ended up returning to his backup/swing role in 2017 season before starting 10 games while Gilbert dealt with another injury.
Hubbard parlayed that starting experience and versatility into a five-year, $37.50 million contract with the Cleveland Browns the following offseason, eventually starting 35 games for them at right tackle while seeing some action at guard during the 2021 season. Hubbard signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason and is currently listed to be their starting right tackle on the team website.
Ultimately, Hubbard’s versatility and availability not only kept him around on Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster as a former undrafted free agent, but it also got him into the starting lineup and landed him a lucrative contract as a free agent with Cleveland. Anderson is primed to follow in Hubbard’s footsteps in Pittsburgh, having the versatility to play both guard and tackle spots while getting in the mix as center as well. Much like how Hubbard eventually found a home at right tackle, OL Coach Pat Meyer believes that Anderson will settle down at one position as he gets older and finds a good fit for him.
“It’s beneficial for us, but it’s good for the kid, too,” Meyer said of Anderson’s versatility, according to Dale Lolley of Steelers.com. “As he gets older and matures and figures it out more and more, we’ll settle him down [at] a position. But right now, he’s equally good inside or outside.”
If Pittsburgh could have Anderson follow Hubbard’s career trajectory, his selection would be a huge success for a former seventh-round pick. The Steelers have already received plenty of praise for the draft class they brought in, but Anderson is often the name left out of that group. Should he become that valuable swing man on the offensive line and play well in case of injury, Anderson could carve out a nice long career in the NFL, much like Hubbard has done.
