The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line displayed as poor of a group effort as we have seen in the trenches since Big Ben first entered the league.
However, with the cap situation, the Steelers have their hands tied in terms of fixing the biggest issues on the roster. So we really have to take a look into each of these players with a different lens and see who has to be replaced vs. who can hold out for another year or two.
As a whole, the Steelers displayed somewhat average pass-blocking ability, which was masked by the very small amount of time Ben would have the ball in his hands. The Steelers suffered in terms of run-blocking easily being in the bottom 5 of teams in the entire league in this area. There are going to be changes to this line, the main question is who should be in and who should be out in 2021.
Big Al Villanueva has long been a fan favorite.
The pro-bowler’s story is incredible as a former Army ranger who went from protecting our country’s freedoms to protecting Ben Roethlisberger’s blindside. He has been capable for multiple years of keeping pass rushers from getting a shot at Ben from his back.
Status: Free agent
Projected Contract: 3 yr $45 million total
While PFF has Big Al as the 4th best of all free-agent tackles in the NFL I do not see him as a player that must be resigned. The Steelers couldn’t afford his projected worth, and to be honest, he has looked like he peaked in 2018. There has been little to no push from him on the edge in run plays and he looks like he is visibly getting slower on the edge. The left tackle is supposed to be the most athletic, and technically sound lineman a team has on their roster. At this point in his career, he is not.
Potential replacements via the 2021 draft
Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) is one of the top tackles in the draft. He has dominated the college scene for 3 years and comes in as the most NFL ready tackle in the draft. He could be a pro-bowler from day one in the league with multiple All-Pro selections looming in the future.
Liam Eichenberg (Notre Dame) is the best offensive lineman in the FBS. He is one of the most stout run-blockers of all tackles in the draft and in terms of fitting a power scheme, he would look elite from day one in the league. He isn’t as quick laterally and may get beat by some of the elite speed rushers in the league but overall is good enough in pass protection to not be a liability. He would be drafted for a better running attack and it would work.
Jackson Carman (Clemson) is my favorite pick of every tackle in the draft if he falls to round 2. He has the most upside of any tackle in the draft. He is a freak athlete and will be gone by the end of day 2 purely based on that. Some claim he should make the move to guard at the next level due to his strength, size, and prowess in the run game. Yet, with better coaching and technique for pass protection, the huge left tackle would do well at his current position in the NFL. If his technique is improved enough he could become the best tackle in the league for several years.
Matt Feiler went from being the starting right tackle to the starting left guard in 2021.
At the start of the 2020 season, I was excited that Feiler was switching to guard as I felt he didn’t have the lateral quickness I would have hoped for in a starting tackle in the NFL. Yet, after seeing him in action I started losing hope. It was clear that he tried putting on a little weight to aid his transition but it did not look like muscle.
Status: Free agent
Projected Contract: 2 yr $12 million total
While I think that price is a bit hefty after watching him start the last two seasons, he surprisingly ranks as the 3rd best free-agent guard by PFF. That is more due to such a low crop of talent in the free-agent pool. He didn’t look strong enough to play inside oftentimes getting bullied by bigger interior defensive linemen, even if they weren’t quite stars. He had his highest PFF grade as a tackle, but couldn’t deal with speed on the edge. Where he lands, and what position he plays shouldn’t matter as much to Steeler fans as he likely won’t be back in Pittsburgh in 2021.
There are no projected replacements for him in the draft
Kevin Dotson will win the starting job at left guard, no matter what competition is brought in. It could be a veteran backup or a flier late in the draft for depth. Dotson was the best offensive lineman we fielded in 2020 and it is still a headscratcher to a lot of people as to why he wasn’t in the starting lineup come playoff time.
The interior of the line already looked improved just by filling in Dotson for Feiler why Feiler was injured. I fully expect the Steelers to start Dotson at this position for a very long time. As a result, I did not feel the need to offer early-round draft replacements for Feiler in this breakdown. This is one of the few no-brainers the Steelers have for the offensive line in 2021.
Pouncey will go down as the 3rd best center in Steelers history.
That is saying something considering he has 2 sure-fire Hall of Famers ahead of him in Steelers history. He had a remarkable career with the Steelers as the cornerstone to one of the best offensive lines in the NFL for much of the last decade.
Status: Under Contract
Contract: In his final year due to count for just over $6.4 million against the cap
While Pouncey will be one of my favorite players ever, his time is running up in the Steel City. He just had by far the worst season in his career from both the performance of the entire line that he leads and an individual standpoint. His final game against the Browns was the worst performance I have ever seen him put out. There was a multitude of bad snaps, he got blown up by Larry Ogunjobi all game, and the miscommunications on the line that caused penalties were bad.
I think he should retire now, but I am dreaming when I say he should pull a Kellen Moore and become the Steelers’ new position coach over the o-line. Remember Moore retired from playing quarterback as a backup for the Cowboys to become the new quarterbacks’ coach within the same year. Moore is now being interviewed for head coaching spots around the league when he was just playing a couple of years ago. We have seen Pouncey as a leader on some of the better offensive lines in franchise history. I think he could be a great position coach, this gives him a chance to continue chasing that elusive Super Bowl ring he has yet to get.
Potential replacements in the 2021 draft
Josh Myers (Ohio State) is my personal favorite for the Steelers in this draft. He is only projected to go in rounds 2-4, though I would not mind nabbing him with the 24th pick. He is an absolute mauler in the run game and his main weakness is picking up blitzes on the inside. He only won the starting job in 2019 so he is less experienced. I expect with some coaching and more game experience he will develop into a fantastic center in the NFL.
Landon Dickerson (Alabama) We could honestly pick two Alabama offensive linemen in the first two rounds and no one would be disappointed. Dickerson was having a career year in Alabama before a knee injury ended his season in the Conference championship game against Florida. He isn’t the most athletic and will come with limitations, however, he is the most technically sound center in the draft. He is a gamer and while he will likely not show out in the combine, when you see him in live-action you understand why Nick Saban loved him so much that he sent him hobbling out in the National Title game to snap in victory formation.
Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) He is a super athlete who sat out the 2020 season due to Covid. He can literally lineup at tackle, guard, or center, and with a little coaching would be a great starter. Many are forgetting his dominance in the 2019 season, but make no mistake if he falls any team will be lucky to nab this player with perennial All-Pro potential in the latter half of the first round or the top of the second. He hasn’t played in a year and is still projected to go before the end of round 2. He very well may break a combine record or two for linemen this year. There isn’t much else that can be said after that.
The right side of the line will remain mostly unchanged
David Decastro is a former All-Pro who didn’t see a lot of drop off. He was still one of the best linemen on our team and one of the better guards in the league. Chukwuma Okorafor is the backup right tackle yet is set to compete to start in 2021. Zach Banner will be cheap and as a result, resigned. I don’t see an issue with keeping all 3 players involved on the right side of the line. Banner is an upgrade in run-blocking while being at the same level in pass blocking as Chuks.
Chuks will more than likely go back to swing tackle unless the Steelers plan to surprise me and they consider starting both Banner and Chuks as bookends on the line next season. If they don’t take a left tackle early, that is the indicator that one of those two will be the new left tackle. There are already rumors saying the Steelers aren’t planning on bringing back Villanueva so unless the Steelers plan to resign Feiler for a tackle position or draft a left tackle, both Banner and Okorafor will start in 2021.
David Decastro and Kevin Dotson are the two players on this line that are all but guaranteed a starting spot in 2021. they performed by far the best and Dotson is showing all the potential in the world in pass protection, which was considered a very weak area for him coming into the league.
There are going to be a few changes to this line come 2021. The Steelers prefer continuity and building through the draft. With minimal cap space signing big-ticket free agents is out of the question so that was left out of this breakdown. Any new faces you see playing on Sunday will likely be rookies or veteran backups that were cheap and are filling out for injured players. Don’t be too shocked if you see Feiler and Banner brought back along with a draftee to fill out the starting line up in 2021.