Usually, when Pro Football Focus puts out its offensive line rankings, it’s a long scroll until you see the Pittsburgh Steelers listed. But with the team revamping its line ahead of the 2024 season, it didn’t take long to see the Steelers listed. Pittsburgh ranked No. 9 on PFF’s list of the best offensive lines in football, and the outlet praised Pittsburgh’s investment in its line.
“The Steelers spent back-to-back first-round picks on offensive tackles and then selected center Zach Frazier in the second round of this year’s draft,” Zoltan Buday wrote. “Those investments should pay off soon, and the team already got solid play from its guards in 2023. Isaac Seumalo, who Pittsburgh signed as a free agent last year, put together a good 2023 season after some initial struggles and finished the year as the 12th-highest-graded guard in the NFL.”
Pittsburgh’s guard tandem of Seumalo and James Daniels is one of the best in the league, but last season it was the group surrounding them that was the issue. Mason Cole had a rough season at center, struggling with both blocking and snapping, while Dan Moore Jr. is a player PFF graded particularly low, bogging down Pittsburgh in its ratings. Assuming that Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier start for Pittsburgh, the Steelers should be stronger up front, especially with OT Broderick Jones moving back to his more natural position at left tackle.
If Pittsburgh’s line can live up to its ranking, it’s going to be good news for the offense. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have been among the most-sacked quarterbacks in the league over the last two seasons, and keeping whoever starts upright will be important. Additionally, it could be the best offensive line that both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have played behind, and bolstering the running attack in Arthur Smith’s offense is going to be an emphasis this season. A better offensive line makes it much easier to do so.
There’s always the concern that a line starting two rookies could have some growing pains, and it didn’t go well for the Steelers when they started both Moore and Kendrick Green in 2021, but that was more due to the players involved. Moore wasn’t awful for a rookie fourth-round offensive tackle, but Green had his share of struggles, largely due to playing out of position, and was benched by the end of the season. Pittsburgh invested much more draft capital in Fautanu and Frazier, and the hope is that both can help anchor Pittsburgh’s line this year and deep into the future.
How Pittsburgh’s line plays is going to be one of the biggest storylines following the team this season after investing its top two picks in offensive lineman, but a good season from the line could pay huge dividends for Pittsburgh’s offense.
