The Pittsburgh Steelers are administering their typical attack to free agency ahead of the NFL Draft and are making sure there is a solid starter at each position. This gives them the ability to pick "best available" year after year. In the 2026 offseason, the Steelers have made acquisitions to address positions like cornerback, wide receiver, and running back. However, a key free agent, Isaac Seumalo, left the team to sign with the Arizona Cardinals. The Black and Gold now have a hole at left guard, but young, versatile lineman Spencer Anderson still remains to potentially fill that role. He has never found a solid place on the line.
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Cardinals offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo speaking with the media.
The Steelers losing their former Pro Bowl guard is a huge loss for the team. While he had proven to be injury-prone at times, when he was on the field, he was the veteran presence the young offensive line needed. Seumalo started his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and proved to be a solid piece for them, and he got better each season.
After the 2022 campaign, in which he played all 17 games, Pittsburgh gave him a three-year, $24 million contract. Seumalo proved to be worth it and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2024. Seumalo, being as good as he is, often picked up the slack of others around him.
The Steelers had two young left tackles beside him in 2025, being Broderick Jones and undrafted free agent spot starter Dylan Cook. Seumalo often had to work harder to aid them, and his play made them appear better at times than they were. On an episode of The Snap Count podcast with former Steelers players Trai Essex and Charlie Batch, the former offensive lineman in Essex commented on Seumalo's play.
"I thought he [Seumalo] had one hell of a year [in 2025]. I thought he was very crucial in keeping some form of duct tape and patchwork at that left tackle position because he had to help guys who had never played it before come in and play effective football," Essex said. "We have a Dylan Cook who had never played — a former quarterback — being our starting left tackle the last six, seven games of the year, and Broderick Jones who hadn't played left tackle in the NFL and [Seumalo] was able to help him mature and progress."
The Steelers relied on two left tackles who had little professional experience at that position to play meaningful snaps. Seumalo proved to be an effective role model and helped clean up a lot of their slack at times. Losing out on Seumalo in free agency may prove to be a detriment for Pittsburgh.
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Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones gets ready to block Buffalo Bills pass rusher Leonard Floyd during their 2023 AFC Wildcard matchup in Orchard Park, NY.
The Steelers letting Seumalo walk means that there is a big hole at the left guard spot. While the aforementioned Anderson could fill in, he doesn't have a ton of experience as a starter, let alone at guard. Pittsburgh needs a guard, naturally, but what does this mean for the left tackles?
Seumalo's presence helped out a ton, but now the inexperienced tackles lack a leader. Cook and Jones should be set to battle it out in camp to see who would be the starter. Jones is recovering from a major neck injury, and there's speculation regarding his health and if he will be set for the start of the season.
This leaves Cook, who has little NFL experience and played a completely different position in college at first before switching to the line. Cook did show some signs of potential at times in 2025, but he can't be relied on too heavily. A veteran guard of Seumalo's caliber is just what Pittsburgh needs to give its line and left tackles the best chances for success.
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Steelers' Mason McCormick during a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Steelers Could Address Tackle Position In The NFL Draft
With how the Steelers work, it comes with a draft strategy of picking up the best players available that fit the direction that Pittsburgh wants to go. The Steelers' brass have the ability to shore up the line with a young guard who can develop behind a veteran.
This is something that they have done before with the likes of, now starter, Mason McCormick. Pittsburgh has 12 picks in the draft this season, after it was able to play the comp pick strategy to its advantage. Don't be surprised if the franchise takes a flyer on a developmental guard with one of those picks.
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