This is the first in a series reviewing the Steelers' 2024 lineup by position. Today: Offensive Line
Offensive Linemen: Dan Moore, Isaac Seumalo, Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, James Daniels, Nate Herbig, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum, Calvin Anderson, Max Scharping
The Steelers selected three offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft, taking tackle Troy Fautanu in the first round, center Zach Frazier in the second and guard Mason McCormick in the fourth, one year after the selection of Broderick Jones in the first round and Spencer Anderson in the seventh.
That's a lot of draft capital expended on offensive linemen in a two-year period, and while the Steelers saw some strides taken, that needs to continue to happen in 2025.
The line seemed to wear down later in the season as the games stacked up, particularly when the Steelers played three games in an 11-day span against the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs.
"Certainly, it didn't end the way we would like as a collective and as a smaller collective," head coach Mike Tomlin said of the offensive line. "We absorbed a lot of attrition during the course of the journey. We ended up playing a lot of young people. They responded in a real positive way, but maybe they fatigued, mentally and physically. Those are things that we're unearthing as we begin this information gathering process. Those are some hardcore questions that I have and things to unearth and we'll see where it leads us in terms of ascertaining the reasons why."
The attrition to which Tomlin referred was the team starting four different line combinations in the first six games because of injuries.
One of those came to Fautanu, who made one start at right tackle after suffering a knee injury in the preseason before suffering another knee injury in practice and being lost for the season.
But there could be an argument made that he was the team's most impressive offensive lineman in training camp, providing plenty of hope moving forward that he'll return in 2025 and become a plus-starter.
That would be huge since both Frazier and McCormick both got plenty of experience in 2024 and also showed a lot of promise.
Many analysts credited Frazier with being if not the best rookie offensive linemen in the NFL this season, then most certainly the best center. The West Virginia product was solid in pass protection and always seems to be looking for the next guy to block.
McCormick moved into the starting lineup at right guard when James Daniels suffered a season-ending Achilles' tendon injury and played well, particularly showing his chops as a run blocker.
With the threesome of Frazier, McCormick and Fautanu the Steelers had 3/5ths of a promising young line that will continue to get better.
Jones had an up-and-down second season, showing flashes of the ability that caused the Steelers to trade up in the first round of the 2023 draft to acquire him, but he needs to continue to work on his consistency. He now has 34 career games and 27 starts – twice as many as he had in his college career – under his belt.
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Jones is still just 23 years old – younger than both Fautanu and McCormick and only slightly older than Frazier – so there's still plenty of room for continued growth.
Dan Moore got off to a very solid start at left tackle this season and overall was solid. Moore might not be a top-10 starter on the left side of the line, but the 26-year-old has made 66 starts in his four seasons, all at left tackle.
The former fourth-round draft pick has been a success, so much so that the Steelers might not be able to afford to keep the pending free agent.
Seumalo missed time early in the season with a pectoral injury suffered the week before the regular season opener and the next three games.
Seumalo has a calming veteran presence, especially with such a young group.
Spencer Anderson wound up making four starts at guard because of injuries and showed promise. The former seventh-round pick also can play some offensive tackle and center in a pinch, which makes him a valuable member of the team.
Herbig was the team's starter at center throughout the offseason program and into training camp before suffering a pectoral injury. He's got experience at both center and guard, making him a valuable player.
Ryan McCollum stepped in for an injured Frazier for two games at midseason and performed well, showing he can be part of the equation, as well.
Calvin Anderson and Max Scharping provided veteran depth at offensive tackle and guard, respectively, when the team was going through all of the injuries early in the season.
Daniels, Moore, Calvin Anderson, Scharping and Herbig are all scheduled to be unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins in mid-March. McCollum will be an exclusive rights free agent.
