Did the Steelers’ offensive line reassure the doubters that it will be fine this season?
The Pittsburgh Steelers invested a lot into their offensive line in recent years—especially this past year. They drafted three linemen in the top four rounds, including T Troy Fautanu in the first round. They followed that with C Zach Frazier, who is in line to start the season opener, just one round later. We will have to wait and see when Fautanu will start, but it shouldn’t take too long.
Now that the preseason is over, how do we feel about the Steelers’ offensive line? The unit had a dreadful game a week ago but managed to have a much better time of it this week. Broderick Jones had the most notable improvement, but he left the most room for growth on the table.
The problem with Jones, of course, is where he is going to play. Whenever Fautanu plays, Jones will move to the left side since Fautanu has only worked on the right. And if we’re really being honest with ourselves, the Steelers have gotten more out of Dan Moore Jr. this year than either of the younger linemen.
We have been through a year with Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels at guard, and they are fine at worst. Seumalo was arguably the Steelers’ most consistent offensive player last season, but he has to stay healthy. Daniels is also very capable, though arguably lacks the highest levels of consistency.
Finally, there is the center position, with the Steelers turning the keys over to the rookie. While Frazier snapped a ball too early yesterday to Justin Fields, he has looked the part of a starting center since the day they put the pads on.
Yet even if each individual lineman has talent, the Steelers haven’t gotten steady, cohesive play from the unit. The Steelers need the offensive line to drive this offense forward, but are they entitled to confidence in the group’s performance? While the starting linemen did solid work against the Lions yesterday, they played against backups.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or 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 in training camp and the preseason and 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. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
