Awful Scenario For Steelers Potentially Could Play Out On Offensive Line Throughout 2024 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through an overhaul on the offensive line since General Manager Omar Khan took over in 2022. His assistant, Andy Weidl, came over from the Philadelphia Eagles and was known for building a team via the trenches. That has been the plan for the duo, which has included investing two first-round picks on tackles in Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. The overall plan since the 2024 NFL Draft seemed to be Jones playing on the left side and Fautanu taking over on the right. That hasn't happened yet, and it may not anytime soon after recent developments. 

It takes time for a line to gel, and the preseason wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, particularly for Jones. He was dealing with an arm injury and didn't perform very well when on the field. Fautanu has been dealing with an injury as well and the rookie hasn't been able to develop as much the team would have liked. He still should be available for Week 2, and may even start, but in place of Jones instead of Dan Moore Jr. 

This opens up a can of worms that Steelers fans aren't going to be very pleased with. Moore performed exceptionally well in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. His pass blocking was tremendous, and quite frankly, he gives the team the best chance to win right now when it comes to left tackle play. If that holds true for the entire season and Fautanu performs on the right side, Jones could lose an entire season of reps and development when it comes to in-game play.

It's not necessary to hit the panic button just yet, but a scenario that could present itself is concerning. Moore having a strong season will lead to him signing a big deal elsewhere in 2025. No one is ready to call Jones a bust by any stretch, but losing Moore to free agency and a lack of true development from Jones could lead to more left tackle questions moving forward.

The Steelers want to be a run-heavy team and the offense was much more effective in 2023 after Jones joined the starting lineup, replacing Chukwuma Okorafor. Moore held his own against the Falcons, but more importantly, was very strong in pass protection. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have taken countless sacks in recent years, and that wasn't necessarily the case for Fields in Week 1.

An interesting observation to mention was the designed roll outs for Fields were often towards his left and Moore's side. The team relied heavily on Moore, and now if Fautanu replaces Jones, there's no guarantee that Moore ends up getting benched at any point during the 2024 campaign. That will create an offseason of questions in 2025.

Steelers May Have Hit Home Run With A Different 2024 Draft Selection

One player that hasn't been discussed too much, and it's a good thing, is Zach Frazier. He fell to Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, played well in the preseason, and was impressive in his professional debut. There are some kinks to work out at the tackle positions, and more pressing issues could present themselves depending on Jones' development, but Frazier could be the Steelers' center for the next decade.

Do you think that Jones could be looked at as a bust one day? Let us know in the comments below!

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