The Pittsburgh Steelers made it a point this offseason to finally try to fix their offense. That came with multiple changes, but none may have as much of a lasting impact as the additions along the offensive line. After drafting Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 draft, the Steelers continued to invest high draft capital into the trenches, selecting Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 draft, and then following that up by taking Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick in later rounds. The Steelers know having a great offensive line for years to come will set them up for success, but one former Cleveland Browns’ scout doesn’t believe this unit will drastically improve this season.
Scott DiBenedetto was a scout for the Browns from 2016 to 2023, so he has gotten an up close and personal look at the rise and fall of the Steelers’ offensive line. Now with Fantasy Points, DiBenedetto recently ranked every offensive line in the NFL, placing the Steelers’ group low on the list at 26. He explained this ranking in a recent video from Fantasy Points’ YouTube channel, citing the Steelers’ inexperience and lack of continuity as reasons for their low standing.
“What kept them low for me is, very little continuity, lot of young guys. You’re gonna have two rookies and then Broderick Jones playing left tackle, but he played all last year at right tackle, so you could almost call him a rookie at left tackle. It’s just so unproven to me, and with a lot of young players, Broderick Jones wasn’t great last year at right tackle,” DiBenedetto said. “I think they have a plan, and they’re trying to build that foundation of the line again, I just don’t see it this year. I think they have too much change, too many young players.”
That’s a fair assessment from DiBenedetto because nothing he said is untrue, but it’s also a more glass-half-empty viewpoint. Yes, the Steelers have a lot of change along their offensive line, which usually doesn’t bode well, but it’s change for the better. They’re better off giving multiple new and younger players a shot than running back the same unit they had last year. They might struggle to start the year, but hopefully they’ll improve as the year goes on and create continuity.
DiBenedetto also clearly believes the Steelers are trending in the right direction along the offensive line too. The Steelers had one of the best offensive lines in the league during the last few years of Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and DiBenedetto saw that firsthand while he was with the Browns.
Players like Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Ramon Foster are not easily replaced. The Steelers are clearly committed to running the ball well though, so even if this new group struggles early on, most of them have enough tools and traits that they should be able to establish themselves as road graders.
Overall, the Steelers’ offensive line should be better this year than it has been recently, and that trend should only continue as time goes on. Jones seems confident he can flip back to left tackle, and the younger players seem to be absorbing as much knowledge as they can in order to be the best versions of themselves. If there’s one thing Cleveland’s done well, it’s finding and developing solid offensive linemen, and DiBenedetto was part of that. His analysis may be more pessimistic, but it’s also a likely outcome. The Steelers’ offensive line may have issues early on, but by the end of the season, they should be battle-tested and prepared to continue elevating their game.
