The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line used to be among the NFL's best units, helping the high-flying "Killer B's" of the mid to late 2010's become one of the scariest offenses in the league during that stretch. Headlined by multiple-time All-Pros David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers were a team that no defense wanted to see on the schedule, and not just because of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell.
Since DeCastro and Pouncey departed after the 2020 season, however, the unit has struggled to return to an acceptable level. Last season saw them start to show the potential to be a strong unit, and they have since added to the already young group with 2026 first-round pick Max Iheanachor and third-round pick Gennings Dunker.
While continued growth from players like Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick will determine the unit's ceiling, there are still question marks that need answers at training camp and will set the floor. With Broderick Jones expected to enter camp with his lingering neck injury, and Iheanachor coming in as a raw tackle prospect, the Steelers need someone to fill in at right tackle and keep Aaron Rodgers upright.
Luckily for head coach Mike McCarthy and company, Dylan Cook proved last season that he may be up for the task.
Dylan Cook's continued solid play is exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers need to see at training camp
Feeling great about three-fifths of your offensive line is a good place to be in the NFL these days, but the Steelers can't afford for the other two spots to be liabilities. Cook showed in his brief five-game stint as a starter last year that he can hold up in pass protection much better than anyone could have expected, and his run blocking wasn't too shabby either.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cook's 79.3 pass-blocking grade ranked him as the 11th-best tackle in the NFL, sandwiched between Bills Pro Bowl tackle Dion Dawkins and the Seahawks' Charles Cross. That is good company to be in, even if the sample size was just 348 total snaps.
While it's possible that Iheanachor's draft pedigree and immense physical talent could make the coaching staff want to give him a shot right away, I still believe that Cook will prove to be the better option (at least to start the season) once the pads come on in Latrobe.
If someone other than Rodgers was playing quarterback, I may be singing a different tune. But if the Steelers are convinced that they can compete with him at QB, tossing a developmental tackle into the fire right away with an immobile passer feels like a risk they won't take unless forced to.
If Cook proves that he can handle the right tackle spot just as well as he did on the left side last season, and one of Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman, or Dunker impresses at right guard, the Steelers could be looking at their best offensive line in over half a decade.
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