Pittsburgh Steelers fans don't have a plethora of reasons to trust that third-round pick Drew Allar will be an eventual franchise quarterback, but one positional group they can take comfort in following the 2026 NFL Draft is the offensive line.
After USC star receiver Makai Lemon went one pick before Pittsburgh in Round 1, general manager Omar Khan turned his card in for Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with the No. 21 overall pick. Two rounds later, the Steelers landed a player that many perceive to be one of the steals of the draft in Iowa offensive lineman Gennings Dunker.
Suddenly, the Steelers' O-line has a bunch of moving parts. Veteran guard Isaac Seumalo left the team in free agency to join the Arizona Cardinals, while former Dallas Cowboys guard/center was signed in free agency.
Meanwhile, reports of Broderick Jones' injury setback after undergoing spinal fusion surgery played a factor in Pittsburgh taking Iheanachor in the first round.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have some major decisions to make on the offensive line
Now the team has a decision to make—which starting five to deploy at the start of the season and where to play them.
Obviously, we still have OTAs, minicamp, and training camp to get through before the team needs to make a decision. However, the best group of five and their ideal spots on the Steelers' offensive line are already staring us in the face.
Pittsburgh Steelers' best projected starting offensive line after the NFL Draft
Left Tackle: Troy Fautanu
Left Guard: Gennings Dunker
Center: Zach Frazier
Right Guard: Mason McCormick
Right Tackle: Max Iheanachor
From left to right, the ideal starting lineup for the Steelers' offensive line this year is Troy Fautanu, Gennigns Dunker, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Max Iheanachor. There are different schools of thought here, and multiple avenues this team could explore, but this starting unit would make the most sense.
Let's start with left tackle. It doesn't sound like Jones will be ready to go for the start of the season, and considering the severity of his injury, there's no guarantee he plays this year. Even if he's cleared before the end of training camp, what good does it do to roll out Jones at left tackle when the Steelers already drafted his replacement?
Instead, Pittsburgh should kick Fautanu, the team's starting right tackle, back over to left tackle—where he played during his college career at Washington. Fautanu doesn't have elite power, but his foot quickness and mirroring ability are exceptional, and he has ideal traits at the left tackle position.
Next is left guard. With Seumalo gone, it looked like there would be a major hole at the position, but that shouldn't be the case. Though the Steelers could (and probably will) make this an open competition, it's best for the team if Dunker wins the job.
Dunker, who played almost exclusively right tackle at Iowa, projects best as a guard in the NFL. This is where the team already admitted he is likely to land. At 6'5'' and 320 pounds with 33 1/2'' arms and 10'' hands, Dunker looks the part with a prototype frame for the position.
Hoffman and Spencer Anderson will push for the role at left guard. Hoffman has a connection with McCarthy during their time together in Dallas, and he's been impressive when he's seen the field, but he's undersized (6'3 3/8'', 302 pounds) and a poor athlete (5.49 40-yard dash).
Dunker is younger, bigger, stronger, and more athletic than either Hoffman or Anderson. While he would need to re-learn his mechanics as he moves from right tackle to left guard, it's best to take these lumps early so he can develop quickly. Sliding Dunker in at left guard would also allow Mason McCormick to stick at right guard, where he's been impressive early in his career.
Then there's right tackle. By moving Fautanu to left tackle, this opens the door for Iheanachor to be the Week 1 starter at a position he's familiar with. Iheanachor made major strides over the past two seasons at ASU, especially considering he only started playing football in the summer of 2021.
The potential starting lineup of Fautanu, Dunker, Frazier, McCormick, and Iheanachor would put the Steelers' five most talented offensive linemen on the field at the same time and would give them one of the youngest starting O-line groups in the NFL.
While there are sure to be some hiccups along the way, this group of five could start gaining chemistry with each other from early in 2026. And by 2027, this could prove to be one of the better offensive lines in the entire NFL, assuming young guys like Iheanachor and Dunker develop.
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