The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line was already running thin with little depth at all five positions, but that is now being put to the test even further with Zach Frazier out of the lineup with an ankle injury. Filling in is Ryan McCollum, who has been with the organization since 2022, bouncing on and off the practice squad and the 53-man roster.
Even as a rookie, Frazier was playing like one of the best centers in the league and providing some stability to the offense line. Ryan McCollum has a tall task ahead of him, with just one NFL start to his name back in 2021 with the Detroit Lions. The former undrafted free agent has worked hard to get to where he is, so let’s look at the play he put on tape over the final 20 offensive snaps in the Steelers-Raiders game on Sunday.
His first snap of the game came on Najee Harris’ 36-yard touchdown run. The play was a toss to the outside, but McCollum still made an impact. He had a 1-tech defensive tackle on the side of the toss, so he needed to reach around him and cut him off from the play. It wasn’t the prettiest block, but he landed one punch under the chestplate and used that to stay engaged and win the rep. He stood a little tall and crossed his feet a little more than you want to see, but it got the job done.
It was a limited sample, but he appears to do better blocking on the move or out in space than in a phone booth. Here, he stood a little too tall and got push-pulled by the defensive tackle, who then tackled Jaylen Warren in the backfield. His hand placement was good, but he got caught leaning a little too much, and good defensive tackles will take advantage of that every time.
Here is another example of McCollum getting push-pulled by a defender. McCollum actually won the rep and anchored well, but you can see him leaning into the block and his center of gravity being out over his feet. The Jets will be watching these same 20 snaps that I am, and you can bet they will be looking to execute the push-pull on him this Sunday.
Overall, his hand use, including his punch placement and timing, is very solid. He looks much more experienced than he actually is in this area. In pass protection, he does a nice job initiating contact and using his hands independently to keep the pass rush off balance and absorb contact without giving up ground in the pocket.
His anchor is solid overall in pass protection. Here, he utilizes the hop steps. Offensive linemen are always going to be giving some ground, but the objective is to lose slowly. He uses the hop steps to re-anchor after the initial contact and then uses hand placement to take control of the rep.
Is Ryan McCollum going to be mauling people like Frazier does? Based on what I’ve seen, no. But he does seem to have better technique than I anticipated. The game definitely doesn’t look too big for him. Fortunately, this first game is at home, so he won’t have to worry about the silent count or anything like that.
He will have to deal with Quinnen Williams, Javon Kinlaw, Solomon Thomas, and others, which should be a big challenge for him. He might also be dealing with Russell Wilson at quarterback for his first start in black and gold. Good communication is going to be key.
For what it’s worth, Dan Moore Jr. praised him today after practice, calling him a “gritty guy” who fits right into the offensive line’s culture.
