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The Pittsburgh Steelers spent two offseasons focused on bolstering their offensive lines, including addressing it via the NFL Draft, in recent years. They did not select any linemen in the 2025 draft, but have brought in an undrafted rookie as well as some younger talent ahead of training camp. The looming question is: are the Steelers deep enough at each position along the line to compete or is depth concerning?
Centers
As of now, Pittsburgh has just two players rostered at the center position: Zach Frazier and Ryan McCollum. Barring moving someone with some snapping experience from another spot on the line, that leaves the Steelers shallow at the position.
While Frazier excelled his rookie, year two will see him snapping the ball to yet another group of quarterbacks. The Steelers got lucky when Frazier was injured in Week 6 (Las Vegas Raiders) of the 2023 season when McCollum took over through two games (Week 9 was the bye for Pittsburgh).
Guard Lecitus Smith (Virginia Tech), who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, has center experience but has played in just 18 career games while bouncing between the Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots before joining the Steelers.
Tackles
The Steelers are similarly shallow at tackle with just four players currently rostered: Calvin Anderson, Dylan Cook, Troy Fautanu, and Broderick Jones.
Fautanu saw playing time in just one regular season game his rookie season due to injury, which required Jones to slide to right tackle once again – and he struggled at times. While Fautanu appears healthy, and it is assumed Jones will move to left tackle – his natural position – it is concerning to only have two backups in Anderson and Cook.
Anderson entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. After being released by the New England Patriots and New York Jets, he settled-in with the Denver Broncos until 2022. He has played in just 50 NFL games due to suffering from malaria (during humanitarian work) and a heart contusion while with the Patriots in 2023. He can play both tackle spots, or as the swing tackle, but needs to learn Pittsburgh’s system.
Cook is an undrafted free agent who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 before joining the Steelers last season. He has yet to play an NFL game and is a relative unknown.
Guards
The Steelers have a slew of guards to choose from on their current roster; eight if you count Spencer Anderson. The most veteran are Isaac Seumalo and Max Scharping. The remaining have less than three years of experience in the league apiece.
While fans are familiar with Mason McCormick and Anderson, they have yet to see Steven Jones, Doug Nester, Smith, or Aiden Williams in black and gold… or see how position versatile they may be.
Mini camps and OTAs are going to prove critical testing grounds for Pittsburgh’s current crop of offensive linemen. The team needs to identify skills quickly should they need to reach out for replacements ahead of training camp in the late summer.
There is real possibility that the Steelers will keep their fingers on the pulse of the market as other teams shuffle offensive linemen as well. Finding a more veteran, experienced player isn’t out of the question and may become a top priority as weeks progress.
If this franchise learned anything from the 2023 season it is that depth on the offensive line has an effect on how well the offense operates overall. When injuries came into play, the line waffled a bit in protection and run-blocking. With the way the Steelers stacked their defensive line, they can’t afford to not be as explosive in the trenches on offense.
Steelers early offensive line depth concerning appeared first on Steel City Underground.