Over the last two offseasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers have added a ton of talent to their offensive line. It started with the free agent signing of veteran OG Isaac Seumalo, and then the team selected OT Broderick Jones and OL Spencer Anderson in the 2023 NFL Draft. They followed that up with three of their first five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft spent on offensive linemen. The opportunity to compete for a starting job or roster spot is always present at the professional level, but there is no doubt that the bar has been raised for that unit over the last 14 months. Where does that leave Anderson, a 2023 seventh-round draft pick?
Former Steelers OL and current color analyst Craig Wolfley was asked about several of the team’s new offensive linemen on Draft Nation, and offered praise for Anderson.
“Spencer Anderson was a guy that I looked a lot at last year in training camp because the guy was multiple position capable and would demonstrate as such when he got in the games. He’s a smart guy, tough guy, is able to learn on the fly,” Wolfley said. “And a guy that doesn’t repeat mistakes. That’s the biggest thing. You gotta have a guy that’s not gonna keep making the same mistake over and over.”
Anderson practiced at multiple positions last offseason as a rookie, but he told the media the Steelers want him to now focus on one position as a full-time guard. While the starting lineup is pretty firmly set at the position between James Daniels and Seumalo, neither player is likely long for the roster. Daniels’ contract expires after this year and is not expected to be extended. Seumalo is 30 years old with two seasons left on his deal. With a roster bonus due next offseason, and much of his salary without guarantees, the Steelers could feasibly move on from him after the 2024 season to make way for younger and cheaper options like Anderson and Mason McCormick.
That is going to be up to the young guards to force the issue, but the depth and level of competition is a great problem to have for the team. Some of the best offensive lines that the Steelers have had featured a mix of high draft picks and late or undrafted players. The 2018 unit consisted of two first-round picks, one second-round pick, and a pair of undrafted free agents. Just because Anderson has the lowest level of investment in him of the group, doesn’t mean he is the odd man out.
That being said, they will have some hard decisions to make when it comes time to cut the roster down from 90 to 53 in late August. In 2023, the Steelers kept nine total offensive linemen on the 53-man roster. In 2022, they kept eight. But in each year, they kept just five interior guys. If you do the math, that leaves two open spots behind the projected starting three of Seumalo, Zach Frazier, and Daniels. McCormick’s spot feels pretty safe as a fourth-round pick, so it should be a competition between Anderson and Nate Herbig for one of the final spots on the offensive line.
Herbig brings more experience and played pretty well in the limited snaps he got at guard in the 2023 season, but his contract is up after this year and he has a heftier price tag than the rookie seventh rounder. Both players bring positional flexibility, which could be a deciding factor in the competition.
Anderson has received nothing but positive reports over the last two offseasons, so this will be one of the key competitions to track throughout training camp next month. If Anderson wins, he could have a path to becoming an eventual starter sometime over the next two seasons.
