The Pittsburgh Steelers envision the offensive line as the engine that drives the whole offense. At least that’s what they’ve talked about the past two years, and they have thrown resources at it. So far, the plan hasn’t exactly born a lot of fruit, and it needs to starting in 2025.
Former Steelers OL Ramon Foster, however, believes this group has what it takes. Indeed, he even said in some respects this young group has the upper hand on his line. And that line included three Pro Bowlers in Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Alejandro Villanueva.
“I love them. I think their across-the-board athleticism and talent, respectfully, is probably better than ours”, Foster told Ben Roethlisberger on the former Steelers quarterback’s Footbahlin podcast. “Pouncey will probably argue me to death about that. Zach [Frazier] I don’t think is in the same conversation as Pounce. But as far as youth, grit, and talent, they got it”.
The Steelers started turning over their offensive line in 2021 after Pouncey and DeCastro retired, Foster retiring in 2020. That year, they drafted Kendrick Green and Dan Moore Jr., the latter of whom has played nearly every snap at left tackle the past four years.
A year later, they turned to free agency with James Daniels and Mason Cole before diversifying their attack. In 2023, the Steelers signed Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig in free agency, then drafted Broderick Jones. This past offseason, they drafted Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick. All three, along with Jones and Seumalo, are projected to comprise their starting line in 2025.
Fautanu missed nearly all of his rookie season, and McCormick wasn’t supposed to play yet. The Steelers had to accelerate his development because Daniels went down with a season-ending injury. Frazier played pretty consistently throughout the year and McCormick acquitted himself well overall. Broderick Jones’ play still leaves something to be desired, as Foster mentioned. But he also said a lot of it isn’t on the linemen.
“It’s a matter of what are you teaching them and what are you asking them to do, too”? Foster said, briefly referencing an issue he had with former Steelers OC Bruce Arians and his refusal to run the ball in certain game plans. “I feel like those young guys have been forced to do what coaches are asking them to do, and they’re not experienced enough and don’t have enough moxie in them yet to get it done”.
The Steelers have had Pat Meyer as their offensive line coach for three years now. He is their longest-serving coach at that position since Mike Munchak, which isn’t saying much. While the aging of the talent had a lot to do with the decline of the unit, they haven’t had coaching stability there, either. Foster wants to see the Steelers prioritize that this offseason, aiming to maximize the tremendous talent that they have.
