Through the first few weeks of training camp, LG Isaac Seumalo has been exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping they were getting after inking him to a three-year deal in free agency this offseason. He has been consistent and reliable, securing the left guard spot on the offensive line after the team endured inconsistent play from OG Kevin Dotson last season.
With Pittsburgh’s first preseason game nearly upon us and Seumalo’s debut in the Black and Gold only a day away, the veteran offensive lineman was recently included in OL expert Brandon Thorn’s top 15 rankings at each OL position on his Trench Warfare website. Thorn ranked Seumalo as his 12th-best LG in football, praising his versatility and execution.
“Seumalo is coming off of his second career 10+ start season and easily the best year of his career,” Thorn said. “He started 20 games for the Eagles as their fifth-best starter, leading to a reasonable and deserved three-year, $24M contract from Pittsburgh, where he will be counted on to be arguably the best starter on the line. Injury concerns aside, Seumalo is a thickly-built, powerful run-blocker who plays with sound technique and very good leverage. He also brings proven versatility at both guard spots with ancillary value coming from a winning culture and organization in Philadelphia where he was exposed to the teachings of an all-time great line coach in Jeff Stoutland.”
Seumalo may not be a household name at left guard like other notable players including Quenton Nelson or Joe Thuney, but he has made himself into an established pro. Seumalo earned praise from many after signing with Pittsburgh including NFL analyst Brian Baldinger who called Seumalo an elite player. Baldinger also mentioned that he has been coached up by Eagles OL Coach Jeff Stoutland, having been with the Eagles since 2013 after a long stint in the college game. Stoutland has also had a hand in the development of RT Lane Johnson, LT Jordan Mailata, and C Jason Kelce, helping create one of the best offensive lines in football.
Seumalo is expected to be one of, if not Pittsburgh’s best OL this season. This comes off the heels of RG James Daniels signing with Pittsburgh last offseason, becoming the team’s best OL in his first year with the Steelers. With Seumalo, Pittsburgh has an experienced interior OL with Daniels and C Mason Cole manning the middle. Depending on how the left tackle job shakes out, Pittsburgh could easily have their best OL in the last several years should Seumalo play up to expectations in 2023.
