The offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been rebuilt in a major way over the last two seasons, turning a very obvious area of weakness into arguably a strength moving forward, thanks to some shrewd moves in free agency, as well as a handful of draft picks the last two years.
That includes the first-round selections of Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, shoring up the tackle position.
Excitement is high regarding the Steelers’ offensive line from the national perspective, and that excitement extends to the running backs that will get the chance to work behind that rebuilt offensive line.
For NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, the anticipation of seeing Steelers’ third-year running back Jaylen Warren behind the Steelers’ rebuilt offensive line is driving him crazy.
“.@steelers @Nunless2 is special… cant wait for how he produces with this rebuilt offensive line..Anticipation is driving me crazy. #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns,” Baldinger writes on Twitter highlighting a play from the Seattle game of Warren.
.@steelers @Nunless2 is special… cant wait for how he produces with this rebuilt offensive line..Anticipation is driving me crazy. #herewego #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/4lnWQy7WQj
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) May 22, 2024
Baldinger isn’t alone in the anticipation of seeing not only Warren, but Najee Harris work behind this rebuilt Steelers’ offensive line. The Steelers very clearly have leaned into the ground-and-pound style offensively built around pounding the rock, punishing the defense and wearing them down.
Late in the 2023 season, that’s exactly what the Steelers did with the dependable duo of Harris and Warren.
Following a strong rookie season that saw him go from a fringe UDFA to a key contributor, Warren became a major contributor in the 2023 season, at times pushing into a 1A role with Harris, becoming a fan favorite in the process.
The former Oklahoma State standout is a bowling ball with legs, period. He runs incredibly hard, refuses to go down on first contact and really fights for every single yard he can get, dishing out punishment in the process, much like Harris. The duo really personifies the Steelers’ tradition at the running back position when it comes to how they run and fight through contact constantly.
Warren tied Harris for most the 10-plus-yard runs this season with 24 and graded as the 11th-best running back from PFF on the season, one spot ahead of Harris, at 78.6 overall. He also is one of the best pass-blocking running backs in football, consistently dishing out punishment in pass protection, even drawing some puzzling fines along the way.
Now, entering Year 3, Warren has a rebuilt offensive line in front of him featuring Fautanu and Jones at the tackle positions, Seumalo and Daniels at left and right guard, and rookie Zach Frazier at center. It projects to be the best offensive line the Steelers have had in years.
Add in the fact that Arthur Smith knows how to get the most out of running backs and it could be a monster season ahead of Warren. Baldinger is looking forward to see one of his personal favorites perform behind the new offensive line. So, too, are the Steelers.
Train’s coming when Jaylen Warren’s running the ball. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/JWZt8EkPPV
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) November 5, 2023
