Leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had seemingly placed a clear emphasis on building through the trenches, addressing the offensive line in a major way under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl.
They accomplished that, landing the likes of offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, center Zach Frazier and guard Mason McCormick in the first four rounds, adding talent and snarl in the trenches.
All three ended up starting games for the Steelers in 2024, with Frazier the best of the bunch. Though Fautanu missed much of the season with an injury and McCormick missed the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a broken hand, the future appears bright along the offensive line.
But in a two-round re-draft exercise from ESPN Tuesday morning, that rebuilt offensive line looks much, much different.
In the re-draft, the Steelers selected former Georgia offensive tackle and current Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims at No. 20 overall instead of Fautanu. In the second round, they selected former Clemson and current Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro in the second round.
In the process, the Steelers lost out on Frazier and Fautanu in the two-round re-draft exercise, reshaping what the offensive line could have looked like moving forward had things played out how the re-draft did.
At No. 20 overall in the 2024 re-draft, ESPN Steelers’ beat writer Brooke Pryor made the case for Mims.
“The Steelers could consider keeping Fautanu in this spot, but he’s tough to evaluate after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Mims also battled through injuries, but he had a solid season and was especially key in pass-blocking situations,” Pryor writes. “Drafting Mims could’ve allowed the Steelers to move Broderick Jones to the left side and insert Mims at right tackle.”
On paper, it makes some sense. The Steelers had a great deal of interest in Mims but seeing him come off the board at No. 18 overall to the Bengals may have changed the target for the Black and Gold.
During his rookie season with the Bengals, Mims had some ups and downs, which is expected of a first-year player. He played 835 snaps and graded out at just a 57.8 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 52.6 as a run blocker and a 60.8 in pass protection.
He had a season-worst 22.0 pass-blocking grade in the Week 18 finale against the Steelers and allowed 33 pressures and four sacks on the season.
The selection of Mims at No. 20 overall put Fautanu back into the draft pool, and he ultimately went No. 34 overall to the New England Patriots early in the second round.
Frazier, who was a second-round pick for the Steelers, found himself in the back end of Round 1, landing with the San Francisco 49ers in the re-draft. That would have dealt a blow to the Steelers, who wouldn’t have an answer at center in the 2024 re-draft, especially with fellow top centers Graham Barton (Dolphins) and Jackson Powers-Johnson (Raiders) off the board by the time the Steelers selected again.
With the Steelers’ second-round pick in the re-draft, Pryor addressed the defensive line, selecting Orhorhoro, another player the Steelers showed some interest in during the pre-draft process.
“With Frazier long gone in this scenario, the Steelers could get good value by reloading the defensive line with Orhorhoro. Though Cam Heyward had one of his best seasons, the 35-year-old is in the twilight of his career, and the cupboard behind him is getting bare,” Pryor writes. “Orhorhoro missed a chunk of his rookie season while on injured reserve (ankle), but his versatility and upside make him a great fit.”
Orhorhoro had a lot of believers leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, but he didn’t deliver on much of the hype in his rookie season. He played just 147 snaps on the year, missing a big chunk of time due to his ankle injury.
Even when he was on the field, he wasn’t all that impactful. Orhorhoro graded out at a 56.2 overall from PFF, including a 56.7 against the run and a 55.0 rushing the passer, generating just six pressures on the year. He had four run stops, too.
It was a lost year for the Clemson product, though there’s still belief in him being a solid NFL defensive lineman moving forward.
On paper, it seems like a decent enough re-draft but losing out on Frazier and not having a center answer in the second round really hinders the Steelers, even if Orhorhoro would be an intriguing fit along their defensive line.
