Will the Steelers’ rookie offensive linemen rise as they put the pads on?
The next training camp practice the Steelers conduct will be in full pads, a momentous day in the camp calendar. It is the time that practice shifts from football in shorts to actual football, especially in Latrobe with live tackling. It is the ideal environment in which to evaluate, particularly the offensive and defensive linemen.
And it just so happens that the Steelers have a bunch of young offensive linemen, drafting three of them back in April within the first four rounds. Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier both project as Year-1 starters, and Mason McCormick could eventually start as well.
The Steelers have allowed Fautanu and McCormick to get some first-team work in the last couple days, though Frazier is still waiting for his first true opportunity. He sort of rotated in during one session yesterday, but by then the line was mostly second-team guys.
So far, Fautanu has consistently run only at right tackle, and when he played with the first team, Dan Moore Jr. was at left tackle. McCormick has seen time at left guard, Isaac Seumalo getting some rest, including all of Saturday. As for Frazier, the Steelers are keeping him behind Nate Herbig at center for now.
But perhaps things start to change now that they will be in pads. Maybe not initially, but the Steelers coaches will have a much clearer picture of where guys are in full-contact drills. It’s easier to move up and earn higher-quality reps when you can actually do your job.
There is still a long way to go, of course, including three preseason games, to evaluate these guys. But the Steelers staked a lot of their future to this draft class, especially with Fautanu and Frazier. They don’t have to start right away, but you would think they want them ready to play ASAP. And pads are as good a way to show that as any without throwing them into the fire in a meaningful game.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
