The Pittsburgh Steelers have suffered from poor offensive line play over the past few seasons. Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels are bright spots on the interior, but the center and tackle positions have been weak. Broderick Jones showed promise last season, but he had his share of growing pains as he transitioned to right tackle replacing a benched Chukwuma Okorafor. The Steelers then drafted offensive linemen in the first two rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft to shore-up the trenches. Rookies Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier look like they could have long and successful careers in the Steel City, but one of them might not be making an impact from day one.
Moore Jr. has been reluctant to play right tackle during his Steelers career because he feels more comfortable at left tackle. Jones' 2023 rookie season wasn't exactly a waste of time because it was on the right side, but the first round pick will now be spending his second season in Pittsburgh in a new position as the team's starting left tackle. Daniels and Seumalo are still holding it down at the guard spots, but the Steelers will see a new face at center and that certainly feels like a good thing.
Fautanu and Frazier, the franchise's top two draft selections, feel like massive upgrades to the offensive line, but insider Mark Kaboly isn't positive that Fautanu will be in the starting lineup Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. In his Steelers Mailbag, he was asked about the offensive tackle situation after OTAs and minicamp.
"Jones is your starting left tackle. Moore and Fautanu will battle for right tackle in camp. The loser of the battle will be the swing tackle."
Another season of Moore Jr. in the starting lineup might stress Steelers fans out, but what Kaboly said about the center position is promising after the team suffered through an underwhelming season from Mason Cole in 2023.
"Nate Herbig will be the swing player on the interior, assuming Zach Frazier wins the starting center job."
That's not exactly a guarantee that Frazier wins the starting job, but Kaboly sounds very confident that the West Virginia standout will anchor the offensive line to start the season.
Jones' move to the left side feels overdue. After trading up in the 2023 draft to select him, the franchise decided to focus on allowing him to finally play his natural position. If Moore Jr. gets the nod as the starting right tackle to open the season, that wouldn't necessarily lock him in for the entire season. Jones started off his rookie season watching from the sidelines, then went on to start several games for Pittsburgh down the stretch. We could see something similar happen with Fautanu if Moore Jr. isn't getting it done in his fourth season.
Obviously fans wants to see the team's first round pick play right away, but sometimes in the Steel City, that's just not how it works.
The Steelers' Offensive Line Will Have A New And Improved Look
Jones at left tackle, Seumalo, Daniels and Frazier on the interior, and either Fautanu or Moore Jr. at right tackle is a huge improvement from last season (at least on paper). We'll have to wait and see how the young offensive linemen look in training camp together, but Steelers fans should definitely be excited for the offensive line that General Manager Omar Khan has put together for new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are both coming off of successful seasons and have serious potential to improve in 2024 with a rebuilt offensive line and a play-caller that wants to establish the run. If the young offensive linemen can meet their expectations, the Steelers' offense should be much more exciting than they've been the last couple of seasons.
