The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense received a concerning report following OTAs this spring. The Steelers made overhauling the offense a priority this offseason. A few newcomers are struggling to find their footing with the Steelers.
The Steelers’ most important change was at quarterback. Mark Kaboly with The Athletic thinks Russell Wilson has been a positive addition to the Steelers this spring. However, he named Justin Fields one of the Steelers’ biggest losers during OTAs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line was a problem in 2023
The Steelers invested heavily in the offensive line during April’s draft. They selected three offensive linemen in the first four rounds.
After last season, the Steelers needed to improve the line. According to Pro Football Focus, the Steelers ranked 31st in pass blocking and 11th in run blocking. Any quarterback would have struggled behind that offensive line.
Troy Fautanu was the Steelers’ No. 1 loser at OTAs
The first two offensive linemen picked are off to a slow start this year. Per Kaboly, Troy Fautanu was the Steelers’ No. 1 loser at OTAs:
This certainly doesn’t mean Fautanu will be a bust or never be a star. But he makes the list because Moore is ahead of him on the depth chart, which is not his fault but the reality of the situation. Sure, that can change quickly in Latrobe, but the limited amount of time Fautanu has to get acclimated to the NFL — coupled with how the organization approached the Broderick Jones/Moore battle last year — makes you wonder. Fautanu is smart and talented, and that comes through immediately, but he must make strides to win a starting job.
The Steelers selected Fautanu with the No. 20 pick. As such, he’s expected to be a Week 1 starter. He’ll have to show a lot of progress when the pads come on in training camp to earn the starting job.
Zach Frazier was getting beat out by Nate Herbig
Zach Frazier, the Steelers No. 2 pick in the draft, should also be a Week 1 starter. Per Kaboly, he’s behind Herbig, who was one of the Steelers’ “winners” at OTAs:
It would’ve been nice to see Frazier work more with the first team than he did, but it didn’t materialize, as Nate Herbig took most of the reps. With linemen limited to drill work, for the most part, it’s hard to get a grasp on what kind of player Frazier will be once he puts the pads on.
Everything suggests he will take over the starting spot within a week of camp and never relinquish it. But once again, when a guy doesn’t take first-team reps, you have to think about Jones last year and how Tomlin approached that situation.
It’s concerning how far behind the Steelers’ rookies were at OTAs. Things could change at training camp, but the Steelers will go into the summer dead period with a lot of uncertainty at a unit that needs to improve big time so that Wilson can have a chance to succeed this season.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here!