NFL analyst Brian Baldinger has been effusive in his praise of the Pittsburgh Steelers after the draft, and he continued his praise during an appearance on NFL Total Access. Baldinger gave the Steelers an A+ for their draft haul and rebuilding the offensive line.
“What’s the highest grade you can give a team? I mean, is A the highest grade? A+? Steelers, I’ll put a plus on it. I mean, look, they’ve been trying to rebuild this offensive line. It started last year. They drafted Broderick Jones, they signed Isaac Seumalo, they drafted Darnell Washington. They finished it this year with Troy Fautanu, the left tackle, along with Zach Frazier. This line is gonna be great for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.”
He also said it’s going to be the best offensive line that Russell Wilson has played behind, reiterating what he said on 93.7 The Fan yesterday.
Mike Tomlin said the Steelers want to roll people this season, and the work they did rebuilding their offensive line will ensure that happens. Fautanu could be a plug-and-play starter at tackle, while Frazier likely will be at center. They also added depth in the fourth round by drafting Mason McCormick.
Rebuilding the offensive line has been a focus in recent offseasons, particularly under Omar Khan and Andy Weidl, and that continued with Pittsburgh’s focus in the draft being on getting guys up front. The Pittsburgh offensive line is now set for years to come, and ideally, Frazier can be the next great Steelers center while Fautanu and Jones can be bookends at tackle for years to come.
Adding Roman Wilson will also make life easier for Russell Wilson, and the Steelers added a thumping, sideline-to-sideline linebacker in Payton Wilson in the third round as well. They’re a team built to win now, and their draft strategy reflected that by taking players who all should impact the roster this season.
Baldinger also believes that the Steelers can compete with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. After a 10-7 campaign in 2023, the Steelers only got stronger this offseason. They improved at quarterback by adding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, added Patrick Queen to the linebacker room, and added DeShon Elliott to bolster their safety depth. At a minimum, this Steelers team has to show they can win a playoff game for the first time since 2016, and they have the pieces in place to do it.
