The Pittsburgh Steelers have made substantial progress improving their offensive line this offseason. Their draft revolved around fortifying the front five in an effort to help the run game and the team’s new faces at quarterback. Adding OT Troy Fautanu and C Zach Frazier are quality on-paper upgrades, but analysts want to see the group in action before showing them much love.
Warren Sharp’s team at Sharp Football Analysis voted to rank the top offensive lines in football, 1-32. Pittsburgh finished 21st overall and according to Sharp, never ranked higher than average on any one ballot.
“Votes for the Steelers offensive line ranged from 16th to 27th. The uncertainty is due to the youth movement, as three first- or second-year players are expected to start: Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, and Zach Frazier. They set a strong foundation for the future, but a young offensive line is rarely a dominant unit.”
The criteria made clear the ranking was based solely on 2024, not future projections. They’re not the first group to knock the Steelers for their youth. ESPN’s Seth Walder had a similar blurb on the team in his projections, believing Fautanu and Frazier could be “weak links” on the offensive line.
However, Fautanu and Frazier might not experience as many growing pains. Both were older and highly experienced prospects coming out of college. Fautanu made 41 starts while Frazier made 46. Both were college seniors and more out-of-the-box ready than an underclassman like Jones last year, who lacked college playing time.
Even granting Pittsburgh’s youth as a criticism, the talent is simply better than what it’s been. A tackle duo of Jones and Fautanu is better than Week 1’s pairing of Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor in 2023. Zach Frazier has a low bar to clear to surpass Mason Cole’s performance last year. And the line offers established veterans in Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels while Jones should make a jump in his second year.
The Steelers’ front five finished last in the AFC North. The Cleveland Browns took the division’s top spot at No. 3 followed by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10 and Baltimore Ravens at No. 17. The NFL’s top-ranked line went to the Detroit Lions while the New York Giants brought up the caboose at No. 32.
