In an effort to reshape and fortify their offensive line, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted three rookies within their first five selections, marking a franchise first since the 1976 NFL Draft.
Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick all bring real excitement to the Steelers’ offensive line, which seems to have finally been properly rebuilt under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, both of whom placed an emphasis on the offensive line in recent offseasons.
For veteran right guard James Daniels, he is really excited by the rookies. He told reporters Thursday that they are all “hungry” and eager to learn and that he’s excited to see how they grow and develop in training camp.
“They’re always asking questions,” Daniels said of the rookie offensive linemen, according to video via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker on Twitter. “Like, in the meetings they are always asking older players in the room how they see things or what they can do, how to do things better. I’m really excited to see how they develop throughout camp and throughout the season.”
Guard James Daniels on his first impressions of the #Steelers rookie offensive linemen.
“I think every day, they’re just hungry and always asking questions. … I’m really excited to see how they develop throughout camp and throughout the season.” pic.twitter.com/wKdojWpLS6
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) June 13, 2024
Being eager, open to learning and wanting to take in as much available information as possible from the veterans in the room is a great move from the rookies. After all, they’re on the same team competing for the same ultimate goal, which is a Super Bowl. There’s no ego in that offensive line room, which is fantastic.
Both Fautanu and Frazier should play key roles quickly, which would give the Steelers a big boost up front, taking some of the onus off a guy like Daniels at right guard in the process.
Though they’re all on the same page when it comes to the offensive scheme overall, learning it side by side this offseason under new coordinator Arthur Smith, it doesn’t hurt to ask the veterans for some tips and tricks outside of the scheme went it comes to day-to-day life in the NFL, on and off the field.
Daniels is not alone in being excited to see how the rookies grow and develop in training camp. That will be a key storyline throughout the couple of weeks in Latrobe as the Steelers gear up for the 2024 season. A lot rides on the offensive line in the Steelers’ offense, and the rookies will be a big part of that.
