Most fans of the Steelers have kept a close eye on what the club has been doing with their offensive line. The group struggled mightily out of the gate last season before they started to click more as the schedule pushed on. Even though there were some slight improvements, overall, this group continued to not play to the level this team needs them to.
Last offseason presented a retooling phase for an offensive line that desperately needed a facelift. Investment is a big part of a successful roster in the trenches, and this organization has refused to provide resources for this part of the club for a while now. Last season's retool came with mostly negative results, and now the team is looking to further answers across their offensive line for long-term improvements.
1. Isaac Seumalo becomes the top OL on Steelers
One of the biggest additions this offseason has been Isaac Seumalo. He signed with the Steelers on a new three-year contract that brought him across the state from Philadelphia. He was a big part of the offensive line’s success in the city of brotherly love. Adding him to this roster provides an immediate upgrade at left guard over last year’s starter, Kevin Dotson.
Seumalo is a former third round selection by the Eagles back in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was able to play his way into a starting role with the Eagles before departing the club in free agency this offseason. Not many predicted that this talented offensive lineman would end up with the Steelers, but he becomes their most stable player in the trenches for the time being.
2. James Daniels has a lot left to prove
The addition of Seumalo should also bring visions full of DeJa Vu from last offseason. James Daniels was the big addition at guard last year around this time, and that resulted in similar contracts. One of the biggest differences, when Daniels arrived compared to Seumalo, was that Daniels never had as high of a grade of pro football focus.
Even though Daniels did not play at an extremely high level in his first year in Pittsburgh, he still provided some quality aspects of his game. His pass blocking was strong overall and that accounted for zero sacks against him in 2022. That does not tell the full story of an offensive lineman, but it does show that he was stable in certain aspects of his game where other linemen were lacking.
Even though some might not be overly impressed by Daniels's performance last season, he provides stability to this group. His contract does pay him handsomely, but that is the normal going rate for quality guards in the NFL. Having a Daniels and Seumalo combo at guard should allow for the interior of the offensive line to improve. Getting better in the trenches is what this club has been trying to accomplish for a couple of years now and these two guards are a step in the right direction.
3. Mason Cole is a great leader, but his position could be upgraded
One thing that this inexperienced group on the offensive line was in desperate need of last offseason was leadership. Mason Cole was signed to a two-year contract in free agency and provided an upgrade at center. Many had question marks when this signing was announced as Cole was mostly a journeyman around the NFL to that point in his career.
Another interesting thing that this veteran provided to the black and gold was his position flexibility. He had plenty of starts at both guard and center across his career. Cole enters his final season under contract with Pittsburgh with a full bill of health after dealing with a nagging foot injury for most of last season. He is not a pro bowl level starter, but he provides good leadership and consistent play.
Plenty of interior offensive linemen have been getting close attention from the Steelers draft process. Guard seems to be off the table for now, but adding a center could make a lot of sense for a multitude of reasons. Cole is a solid contributor, but he is only under contract for another season. Adding a quality rookie could provide an upgrade in play, plus be on a cheaper contract for the foreseeable future.
4. Dan Moore Jr. should be concerned about losing his starting job
Most will be up in arms with the thought that Dan Moore Jr. is not the worst offensive lineman on the offensive line. It was a close second, as this tackle has struggled ever since entering the NFL. In fairness, this player has been asked to climb Mount Everest without any tanks of air at his disposal. There have been plenty of chances for him to succeed, but there have also been plenty of chances to fail as well.
Most of the blame should go in the direction of Moore as he continues to show his inability to be a starting left tackle in the NFL. He was a fourth-round selection that got blessed by fire in his rookie season. He is still relatively young, but he cannot be a franchise left tackle, that is just not the type of player that he is.
Well, maybe Moore is not the answer on the left side, but there could be other spots that he could help fill. Having him as your swing tackle would be a nice addition to your depth if you can add an upgrade through the draft. Maybe have an open mind about him sliding over to the right side and battling Chuks Okorafor for the starting spot there. Perhaps things will get a little easier for him there, or maybe he is coming to the end of his road as a starter.
5. Chuks Okorafor has too much job stability with the Steelers right now
Pittsburgh was put in a tough position last offseason as they either re-signed Chuks Okorafor during free agency or got stuck with another pressing need. Bringing him back might not have been the worst business plan, but it was not the most reliable one either. Most should be begging the black and gold to solve the issues at left and right tackle this offseason.
That might be too lofty of a goal to accomplish so it seems like Okorafor and Moore could be the options to start on one side of the line. This veteran tackle will be entering his fifth season in the NFL, and he is still only 25 years old. He is still young, but he has limited out as the player that he is going to be at this level of competition.
Somehow Okorafor graded out worse than Moore did last year, and that should be a major cause for concern. Both sack and penalties allotted between the two is staggering, but it does lean heavily toward Moore in that instance. It seems like the plan of action is drafting a tackle early to cement on the left side, while Okorafor remains on the right side. Perhaps his job should not be solidified. Having Moore compete for that job could bring out some solid competition during the pre-season.