Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers had numerous glaring questions surrounding their offensive line. Concerning reports of Broderick Jones' injury setback added doubt to the tackle position, while Isaac Seumalo's departure in free agency left a gaping hole at left guard.
During the draft, general manager Omar Khan took big swings on rebuilding the offensive trenches with Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in Round 1 and Iowa's Gennings Dunker in Round 3.
After these additions, many fans thought they had the offensive line figured out. But the latest Steelers O-line strategy is starting to unfold... and it's not what we expected.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' OL plan could come with growing pains, but great potential
The Steelers kicked off their OTAs on Monday, and we got a great look at where players might be slotted along the offensive line. Troy Fautanu was lined up at left tackle, despite being a right tackle for his first two seasons. Fautanu played left tackle at Washington, so he has plenty of college experience at the position.
This wasn't completely unexpected. Because Iheanachor is still fairly new to the game, it always made sense to keep him at right tackle, where he played in college.
However, the Steelers' decision at left guard came as a bit of a surprise.
Early in OTAs, right guard Mason McCormick has flipped over to the left side, where Seumalo used to play. McCormick is coming off back-to-back quality seasons at right guard, but he was a left guard in college for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
Some fans are already questioning why the Steelers would make this move, but it makes sense when you examine the scope of the situation.
Not only does McCormick already have loads of left guard experience from his six-year college career from 2018 to 2023, but kicking him to the left side would allow him to keep his chemistry and continuity with Fautanu, who appears to be the Steelers' projected left tackle moving forward. Fautanu and McCormick were both selected in the 2024 draft class, and they made significant strides working side-by-side down the stretch of the 2025 season.
But that's not the only reason.
Rookie Gennings Dunker is a 'right-handed' player. He played exclusively at right tackle over the past three seasons at Iowa. While the Steelers already expressed that they view him as a guard at the next level, it should be an easier transition to go from right tackle to right guard than from right tackle to left guard.
Dunker's muscle memory and kickslide won't have to change much by kicking inside from tackle to guard, but having to move not just positions but sides of the line could be asking too much.
Unfortunately, this could create a potential dilemma. With Iheanachor aiming to be the Week 1 starter at right tackle, the Steelers may be hesitant to play two rookies next to each other from the gate (we know how focused this team is on winning in the present).
This means that Dunker may need to begin his NFL career on the bench before sliding in at right guard. Thankfully, the Steelers have other options early in the season.
Brock Hoffman, who played both center and guard for the Dallas Cowboys during his first four seasons, could compete with veteran Spencer Anderson for the role of the starting right guard to begin the season.
It also stands to reason that Dylan Cook could be involved in competition, either at right guard or right tackle. Cook has tackle-guard versatility, and if the Steelers don't want to give Iheanachor a trial by fire, they could elect to start Cook at right tackle for the first few weeks of the season.
Ultimately, based on player comments regarding their roles and early lineups at OTAs, it feels like the Steelers' endgame on the offensive line is to have Troy Fautanu at left tackle, Mason McCormick at left guard, Zach Frazier at center, Gennings Dunker at right guard, and Max Iheanachor at right tackle. This lineup would not only make sense based on the players' skill sets but also offer the most upside in the future.
It's still early, and it's important to note that plans can change. The Steelers could get into mandatory minicamp or training camp and decide to experiment with a different lineup.
But for now, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line strategy doesn't look like we thought it would... and it might just be better.
Add us as a preferred source on Google