Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a strong push to improve their offensive line. They spent several draft picks on that unit, adding Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick. While Fautanu lost most of his rookie season due to an injury, Frazier and McCormick were both solid additions. Along with Broderick Jones and Isaac Seumalo, that group will be looking to take a step forward this year. Former NFL offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley believes they’ll be much improved.
“You can look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think they’re an up-and-coming, ascending group,” Shipley said recently on The Pat McAfee Show. “I like their group, and I think continuity is a huge, huge, huge part of offensive line play.
“When you get the same group of guys coming back, young guys to boot, probably spent the whole offseason together… I feel real good about this group. I like the group that they’ve got.”
Shipley has praised some of the Steelers’ young offensive linemen in the past, and with good reason. As a rookie, Frazier looked like their best offensive lineman. He instantly helped them fill their void at center, which had been plaguing them since Maurkice Pouncey retired.
There are still question marks about the rest of that group, though. Jones is the most obvious of those. In 2023, the Steelers traded in the first round to select Jones. Since then, he hasn’t developed into the player they want him to be. Not all of that is Jones’ fault, with the Steelers flip-flopping his position too often, but he’s also got his own issues.
This year, Jones is set to be the Steelers’ starting left tackle. That means that he’s in charge of protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. Considering that Rodgers is 41 years old, that’s an extremely important job. While he could still play at a high level, there is no way of knowing if Pittsburgh can’t protect him.
Also, there’s no telling what level Fautanu can play at. He looked solid in a small sample size last year, but his limited NFL action could set him on a crash course for a steep learning curve. However, for what it’s worth, Fautanu has performed well early in training camp.
Seumalo is the veteran of that group, and he’s been a steady presence. However, he’s set to turn 32 this year and has dealt with more bumps and bruises recently, so he could be in for a decline.
McCormick was a fourth-round pick last year, and he exceeded expectations when considering his draft slot. As a rookie, he was a solid player but had issues in certain areas. Now, entering his second season, the Steelers will be looking at him to take a step up.
However, no group is perfect. Like Shipley says, the Steelers’ offensive line has a bright future. If this group can jell together, they could become one of the best units in the league for years to come. However, this year will be a big test for many of them, and we’ll see if they can answer the call.
