The Pittsburgh Steelers have made it clear what area they believe wins football games. In the 2023 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh traded up three spots to grab Georgia offensive lineman Broderick Jones in the first round. As a rookie, Jones played mostly as the right tackle. It seems likely that in the 2024 season, Pittsburgh will move Jones to left tackle.
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Steelers' Broderick Jones gets ready to block against the Titans.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Steelers had a clear need at center. In the first round, Pittsburgh drafted offensive lineman Troy Fautanu. This pick was heavily praised by media pundits and draft experts as a steal for where the Steelers were picking. Getting a stud like Fautanu late in the first round was viewed as a big win for Pittsburgh. In the second round, they got the center they wanted by picking Zach Frazier. Frazier joins Pittsburgh with the expectations of being the future of the center position for many years to come.
With a young core of Frazier, Fautanu, and Jones, along with veteran guard Isaac Seumalo, many pundits believe Pittsburgh has a strong offensive line heading into the 2024 season. However, not everyone is fully convinced.
Scott DiBenedetto, a former scout for the Cleveland Browns who helped the organization for seven years from 2016-2023, ranked the Steelers' new-look offensive line as the 26th in the NFL, close to the worst. DiBenedetto detailed his reasoning for the poor ranking on the Fantasy Points YouTube channel.
"What kept them low for me is, very little continuity, lot of young guys. You're gonna have two rookies and then Broderick Jones playing left tackle, but he played all last year at right tackle, so you could almost call him a rookie at left tackle.”
DiBenedetto makes some solid points. It could take time for the Steelers' new-look offensive line to develop. While DiBenedetto acknowledges that Pittsburgh has done a solid job preparing for the future, he does not expect them to be very good in the 2024 season.
“It's just so unproven to me, and with a lot of young players, Broderick Jones wasn't great last year at right tackle," DiBenedetto said. "I think they have a plan, and they're trying to build that foundation of the line again, I just don't see it this year. I think they have too much change, too many young players."
It can take rookies some time to find their footing in the NFL, and DiBenedetto fully expects it to take Pittsburgh some time to get their offensive line up to speed.
Many Steelers fans are still curious about who will be starting on the offensive line in Week 1. It took Jones some time to earn a starting spot, and DiBenedetto believes he is essentially going to be a rookie in 2024 because he is likely to play on the opposite side of the line.
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Steelers offensive lineman Dan Moore Jr. (#65) on the field at St. Vincent College during a 2022 training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
Frazier seems like an obvious day-one starter for the Steelers. It will be interesting to see if Fautanu is a day-one starter as well. The Steelers have Seumalo, the veteran leader on the line, who will certainly be expected to carry the line in the upcoming season.
Steelers' Offensive Line Getting Mixed Reviews
There is still some uncertainty regarding the Steelers' offensive line and who the starters will be. Steelers fans are eager to see who Pittsburgh rolls out as their starters on the line in Week 1. Not everyone is down on the Steelers' offensive line.
AP
Steelers' 2024 first-round pick, Troy Fautanu gets introduced by Art Rooney II.
The popular football metrics site Pro Football Focus believes the Steelers have one of the best offensive lines in football, ranking them as the ninth-best unit in the league. This is a significant difference from DiBenedetto's ranking. It will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh's unit shapes up in the upcoming season.
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