As a former NFL offensive lineman, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger pays quite a bit of attention to the trenches on the offensive side of the football.
So, seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers address the offensive trenches in a major way, of course that was going to pique his interest. Turns out, Baldinger believes the Steelers “won the draft” for the way they bolstered their offensive line, addressing one of the weakest areas on an otherwise strong roster overall.
Appearing on NFL Network following the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft, Baldinger stated that the Steelers “won the draft” and “helped themselves out” in the trenches by landing some of his favorite players in the class.
“I thought the Steelers won the draft. And really, they had been trying to rebuild their offensive line. Now it started last year when they drafted Broderick Jones, signed Isaac Seumalo. …They want this offense line to be amongst, if not the best,” Baldinger said of the Steelers’ draft class, according to NFL Network. “They go out and get Troy Fautanu. They go out and grab Zach Frazier. They went right down the highway right there to West Virginia to get Zach Frazier, their center of the future. You just heard him talking about the history of the centers.
“Roman Wilson, Payton Wilson, love it. I thought they [got] the best linebacker. I thought they got the best center. I thought they got one of the best offensive linemen in Fautanu. I really thought the Steelers helped themselves out.”
It’s hard to find a flaw in the Steelers’ draft class at this point.
Needing to address the offensive line, the Steelers went out and did that in abundance, grabbing three linemen in Fautanu, Frazier and Mason McCormick, selecting three offensive linemen in the first five selections for the first time since 1976, some 48 years ago.
Last season, the Steelers had issues with their offensive line, from seeing center Mason Cole struggle snapping the football and holding up in pass protection to left tackle Dan Moore Jr. grading out as Pro Football Focus’ worst pass-blocking tackle in football.
Now, the Steelers have Fautanu and Frazier to slot into the starting lineup while McCormick addresses depth in the trenches and could be the starting left or right guard in 2025, depending on what happens with Seumalo and James Daniels, especially with the latter entering a contract year.
That doesn’t even touch on the selections of wide receiver Roman Wilson and linebacker Payton Wilson, both of whom bring a real toughness and edge that fits the Steelers perfectly.
There’s not a ton of flash here in the draft class, but there’s a lot of beef and brute force that the Steelers added, which will do wonders for the style of football Pittsburgh aims to play moving forward.
