The Steelers O-Line Still Has Questions. It Also Has Answers.
The spotlight is on the Pittsburgh Steelersâ O-line. Itâs a critical year for the front five, and they enter with plenty of questions. Will Broderick Jones bounce back? Can Mason McCormick take a big step forward? What does the team truly have in Troy Fautanu? All valid. All unanswered.
The good news? They â and we- know exactly where theyâll line up.
Broderick Jones is at left tackle. No question, no debate. Troy Fautanu is the starting right tackle. Isaac Seumalo is the left guard, Zach Frazier the center, and Mason McCormick the right guard.
Thatâs something thatâs been missing. For the past several seasons, figuring out which lineman was lining up where was a challenge. Last season, the team entered camp juggling Dan Moore Jr., Jones, and Fautanu. Would Moore try his hand on the right side? Where would Jones end up? Who was the odd man out? Fautanuâs injury solved that dilemma early in the season, but the offseason was still spent rotating with Jones, who occasionally picked up reps at left tackle.
Even Zach Frazier entered camp as a backup. He only took control of the starting spot once Nate Herbig injured his shoulder during the literal final hour of training camp. McCormick flipped between guard spots and even dabbled at center, entering 2024 as a backup before being pressed into action.
In 2023, the same conversations with Jones were discussed. Left or right tackle? He bounced between positions in camp and regular season, filling in for Moore once and replacing Chukwuma Okorafor midseason.
Knowing where youâre lining up and who youâre lining up next to are key for a young and developing offensive line. It creates certainty, predictability, and habit âthree key ingredients of individual success.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Frazier acknowledged the benefit.
âNow you kind of know what to expect,â he said via the teamâs YouTube channel. âWhoâs gonna be next to you, and itâs just more comfort.â
Jones will work at left tackle every day. Even though heâs now logged more time on the right side throughout his college and NFL career, he still seems most comfortable and most eager to be a blindside protector. It wonât cure all his problems, but if it helps his mindset, which was a problem last season, it could go a long way, especially playing next to a vet like Seumalo.
Itâs not everything. The juryâs still out on this young group, and Pittsburgh canât afford to get this wrong. But itâs a start.
