The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some great offensive linemen don the ‘Black and Gold’. Who will carry on the tradition?
Over the forty-four-plus years that I have been a Steelers fan, I have had the privilege of watching some great offensive linemen protect our QBs, one of whom is already enshrined in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and another who will be joining him in what I suspect will be his first year of eligibility.
Over those aforementioned forty-four-plus years, I have also had the privilege of watching some great Steelers offensive linemen open massive holes for two Hall of Fame RBs and several others who ‘toted the rock’ for us. The names of some of those great offensive linemen are forever immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mike Webster, my favorite player of all time, and arguably the greatest center of all time, Dermontti Dawson, also arguably the greatest center of all time, and, last but not least, the newest Steelers ‘O-lineman” to be enshrined, Alan Faneca. The question for me is this: Of the current ‘O-linemen’, is there a player or are there players who can carry on the tradition?
The Steelers offensive line has its work cut out for them if they want to ascend to greatness
Let me state this right from the outset: I don’t think there is one NFL player who does not believe that he can become great at his position. Honestly, if a player lacks confidence, he won’t be in the league for very long.
After players like Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro, one of whom retired and one of whom was released, were no longer manning the trenches, the Steelers offensive line has suffered from, what I would describe as, a lack of identity and a lack of cohesion.
That assessment may be somewhat unfair but that’s how I see it. If you look at the 2022 Steelers as they are currently constructed, who has the potential to become the next great offensive lineman? I think that’s a fair question as everything on the offensive side of the ball begins and ends with the ‘O-line’.
If the ‘O-line’ doesn’t block, we can neither be successful in the running game nor in the passing game, which means we will not score a whole lot of points, which further means that we will not win too many games by having to settle for kicking FGs.
I believe we have at least two offensive linemen who can carry on the tradition set by former Steelers greats. Kevin Dotson, who will be entering his third season, acquitted himself well in the thirteen games has started since being drafted in 2020. Injuries derailed his 2021 season, but if he remains healthy, he has a chance to become a dominant guard for us.
Another player whom I believe has even more potential than Dotson is James Daniels, whom we signed as a free agent this offseason. Daniels has started games at center and both guard positions. Unlike Dotson who can probably only play guard, Daniels provides the flexibility that the Steelers covet.
Obviously, anything is possible, so is it possible that solid players like Joe Haeg and John Leglue can take a step toward greatness? Of course, they can. Will they is the question. Look, every position group aspires to be great, but the reality for me is this: Someone on the offensive line needs to become the next great Steelers ‘O-lineman’.
Ideally, everyone in that unit will become great and will build upon the foundation that has been laid by others because the alternative is not something I would like to think about.