Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has seen a lot of offensive linemen during his 12-year NFL career, teammates and opponents. So it’s fair to say that he’s probably a good judge of talent and play. On Tuesday, he joined Colleen Wolfe and Brian Baldinger on NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp Live from training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and the topic of the Steelers’ offensive line came up.
“I think it’s a good nucleus,” Heyward said. “I look at guys like Chuks (Chukwuma) Okafor, Mason Cole, and then I look at Dan Moore (Jr.). I know everybody’s really sleeping on him because we brought in another first-round offensive tackle, but I like the competition there. I like that group because I feel like if you have a strong offensive line, which we’ve had in the past, Maurkice Pounceys, Ramon Fosters, David DeCastros…When you have those groups strong, it makes for a better competition for your group to go farther.”
The offensive line can make an NFL offense or it can break it. Quarterbacks perform better when they’re given time and running backs gain more yards when the line is opening holes. Coach Mike Tomlin has made no secret out of the fact that he wants the offense to be more explosive. However, he also wants an attack that strikes a balance to cut down on negative plays.
What’s one of the biggest keys to that? An offensive line that can hold up in pass protection while also keeping running backs clean. Sacks and negative runs can blow up promising drives. That falls at least partially on the offensive line.
Evidently, the offensive line competition early in training camp is making an impression on Heyward. Cole is a steady presence at center which is incredibly important for communication and stability across the entire line. Getting more consistent, high-quality blocking out of Okorafor at right tackle would be a big boost, so Heyward calling him out by name is a good sign.
Heyward was also wise to point out Moore, who is trying to hold off rookie Broderick Jones, 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, at left tackle. The Jones pick has led to a lot of speculation about Moore’s future at the left tackle position. If Moore can be fueled by the competition and be the deserved starter Week One, that should be a good thing for the offense as well.
While Heyward invoked the names of some quality offensive linemen from during his tenure in Pittsburgh, it remains to be seen if any of the current crop of players will play to that level. If they do, that will only mean good things for the Steelers offense and the team’s performance as a whole.
