Noted Pittsburgh Steelers fan and ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith shared his thoughts on the team after Pittsburgh’s preseason sweep, going 3-0 following Thursday’s 24-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons. And a credit to him. For as much as places like ESPN focus on the glitz and the glamour, the big plays and the skill positions who make them, Smith focused on the nuts and bolts of what will make the Steelers better.
“Where they deserve major, major props to me is that they prioritized this offensive line,” Smith said during Friday’s episode of First Take. “And that’s not just for run blocking but for pass protections. Let’s call it what it is. One of the things that was so alarming about the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent memory over the last two or three years, they were a shell of what we knew the Steelers to be traditionally. Historically.”
Pittsburgh has heavily invested in its offensive line the last two offseasons. In 2022, they found their starting center in Mason Cole and starting right guard in James Daniels. In 2023, they signed Isaac Seumalo to play left guard and drafted left tackle Broderick Jones, trading up in the first round to do so, while improving depth with guard (and possibly center) Nate Herbig. Jones will enter the year as the backup but is only a snap away from seeing action.
It’s a far cry from where the line looked two years ago when they started two rookies in LT Dan Moore Jr. and C Kendrick Green, Trai Turner at right guard, and Kevin Dotson at left guard. Of that group, only the tackles, Moore and RT Chukwuma Okorafor, remain starters. Moore has grown by leaps and bounds while Okorafor is serviceable on the other side, though this could be his last year starting. The interior has been overhauled for the better, creating a better pocket for the quarterback and more running room for the backfield.
The only critique and concern Smith shared was the ceiling of the Steelers, suggesting they could be a team in the middle but not at the top.
“I think the Steelers have a chance,” he said. “I’m not as high on them as I’d like to be. But I’m certainly not low on them.”
That’s one reason why Pittsburgh focused so heavily on the offensive line. Seumalo was the critical piece added this year and he’s quietly been the Steelers’ most valuable addition in an offseason where they’ve had several of them. By season’s end, they may have a top-10 offensive line in football.
Health is always a factor and Pittsburgh has been remarkably healthy over the last 12 months, including this summer. Odds are, they won’t be as fortunate as a year ago. But Pittsburgh has better protected itself for that reality and as a healthy starting five, this unit sure looks good.
