Steelers' Alex Highsmith Claims Offensive Line Is Impressive So Far, Showing "Steady Growth"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally invested in the offensive trenches after several seasons of disappointment in that weakest part of the team. The line has steadily declined since the 2010s, when the group seemed to retire almost in unison. However, in 2023, General Manager Omar Khan selected Broderick Jones as their first pick and signed Isaac Seumalo. In 2024, he did it again, drafting Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick.

Now the Steelers have an offensive line that shows promise. The group is rounded out by veterans like Dan Moore Jr. and James Daniels, allowing Fautanu to ease into the position like Jones did. The veteran players on both sides of the ball are excited about the changes that have been made. 

The Steelers' defense is especially thrilled. They might be the highest-paid defense in the league, but the team struggled to get full value out of them because they were constantly on the field. Pittsburgh's offense could not move the ball effectively or sustain drives, leaving the defense to do most of the work. While they were able to win some games, think Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns, it wasn't enough to be consistently sustainable.   

Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith is among those defenders eager to see what these young linemen can do. Highsmith recently joined former defensive end Chris Long on his show, The Green Light Podcast. Long told him he was a big fan of Jones after seeing him last season. He asked Highsmith about Jones' progress and what he saw from the other new young players.  

"I think it's just a steady growth that I've seen. Of course, no one comes in as a rookie and is out there looking perfect and doing everything the right way. I think whether it's Broderick [Jones], Zach [Frazier] or Troy [Fautanu], all those guys have taken a steady growth. I'm just excited to see how it is during camp. We're going to be competing against them, so we're going to want to be winning against them. I'm just excited to see the way that those guys grow and mature throughout this camp, and I think for a guy like Broderick, when he came in and was clearing holes in the run game, and he wasn't on his natural side, I felt like he got better throughout the year at that right tackle spot."

Last season, the Steelers allowed their first-round pick, Jones, to learn on the bench behind Moore at left tackle, which was his natural position. Ultimately, Jones started because Chukwuma Okorafor angered Head Coach Mike Tomlin enough to be benched. That put Jones out of position at right tackle. However, he is athletic, versatile, and was able to adapt. 

That is why many were surprised when the Steelers drafted another natural left tackle, Fautanu. Moore has been very vocal that he is not comfortable playing on the right side and to be fair, he is not as athletic as Fautanu or Jones. 

Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. Considered The Weak Link

This revamped offensive line is gaining attention from the national media, who are excited to see what they can do, considering the Steelers have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL -- especially the second half of the year. Recently, on the PFF NFL Show, Moore was called the "weak link" on that line. 

They predicted the line would be "fun to watch," but expected Tomlin to replace Moore quickly with Fautanu. They noted that Moore particularly struggles against divisional foe Myles Garrett, and since they play the Browns at least twice, that is a big deal. Moore's rookie contract will end after this season, and it seems unlikely that the Steelers will retain him. 

While it is easy to single Moore out as the weak link, he had outplayed his draft position, considering he was a fourth-round pick in 2021. Some feel that Moore has been steady enough to draw attention from other teams and will likely even earn a large contract.  

What do you think about the new offensive line? Click to comment below. 

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