If you rewind to last offseason, the term “bully ball” was thrown around a lot with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They drafted Broderick Jones and signed Isaac Seumalo hoping that would be enough to complete the offensive line rebuild, but it took them until halfway through the season to start realizing their potential in the run game. Part of that was because the offensive line had a sluggish start to the season, and Jones didn’t become a full-time starter until Week 9.
With what they did in the 2024 NFL Draft, it sure feels like they are doubling down on the bully-ball mentality. They drafted offensive linemen with three of their first five picks and added a defensive lineman and an inside linebacker two of the others. Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier have a great shot at being Week 1 starters, and Mason McCormick will be a top depth option on the interior, with a chance to start as soon as 2025 with James Daniels’ contract expiring.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson broke down the Steelers’ draft class and came away impressed.
“They drafted bullies,” Parson said in a clip of the segment posted on X by The Draft Network. “They wanna play bully ball in what has been one of the more black and blue divisions in football for years, for decades – the AFC North. So stock up for Jaylen Warren and stock up for Najee Harris, ’cause I expect this team to run the ball, especially with the hire of Arthur Smith coming from Atlanta and Tennessee where he ran the ball at high clips.”
Mike Tomlin even said in an appearance on the ESPN draft broadcast that “we just wanna roll people.”
Even the wide receiver drafted in the third round, Roman Wilson, brings a competitive edge to him that should help the cause of playing bully ball. Michigan ran a run-heavy offense, so he knows what it takes to be a contributor on a team that runs more than it passes.
They lived by the mantra “no block, no rock” in the wide receiver room at Michigan – meaning if you don’t block you don’t deserve the ball. He is undersized, so he isn’t the most imposing blocker, but he isn’t a guy whose effort you are going to question.
As off-ball linebackers continue to trend smaller and faster to combat the pass-heavy offenses of the NFL, and defenses are spending more and more time in their sub-packages with an extra defensive back on the field, the Steelers are betting on turning back the clocks 30 years. They are going to play bully ball, and with the overhauled offensive line, it just might work.
Just look at the way Fautanu finishes plays.
