Better or Worse? 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line
The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a lot of roster turnover this offseason, at many positions, and sometimes you have to wonder if the change which is made is always good. After all, change just to change isn’t what any NFL franchise wants to do, but changing for the better is always the objective.
However, with the current state of free agency losing players in inevitable. Making changes to your roster to help absorb those players lost is the challenge of every NFL front office. With that out of the way, it is time to take a look at the 2025 Steelers roster, by position, and whether or not the roster is better, or worse, entering the upcoming season.
Today we focus on the offensive line. Before giving a full analysis, let’s take a look at players lost, players added, and players who are expected to make a jump in production this season:
Players Lost
- OT Dan Moore Jr.
- OG James Daniels
Players Added
- OT Calvin Anders
- OG Max Scharping
Players Expected to Make a Jump
- OT Broderick Jones
- C Zach Frazier
- OG Mason McCormick
- OT Troy Fautanu
As it pertains to whether or not this roster is better or worse, this is a difficult question to answer when talking about the offensive line. You lose Dan Moore to free agency, and many will celebrate his departure; however, will Broderick Jones be able to step in and step up at left tackle? It’s a position he’s played one game since being drafted out of Georgia.
On the opposite side you have Troy Fautanu who missed almost the entire 2024 season with a knee injury. Will he be able to lock down the right side of the offensive line, proving the Steelers made the right call when taking him in the 1st Round of the 2024 NFL Draft?
Zach Frazier seems to be the rock of the offensive line, even just entering Year 2, but the guards playing next to him have big question marks surrounding them. Isaac Seumalo is coming off a rough season which saw him miss the first four games due to injury, and Mason McCormick is filling in for Daniels, who was arguably the Steelers best offensive lineman the last two seasons.
There are so many questions surrounding the offensive line, even after the team has spent two 1st Round picks, a 2nd Round pick and 4th Round pick on the group the last three drafts. If there was an option for “stays the same”, I’d likely take that option, but I can’t do that. So, is the offensive line better or worse?
Verdict: Worse
Let me make something very clear here, this offensive line could be better, but I think it is going to take time, and a lot of the questions will have to be answered on the field. On paper they lost a lot, and what they have replacing those lost snaps are unproven commodities. That’s why I have to say they are worse, at least to start the 2025 regular season.
What about you? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the offseason and get ready for training camp.
I would say they have much higher potential, but also a lower floor. There is a world where Jones works out at LT, Fautanu shows why he was a first round pick, Frazier solidifies himself as one of the best in the game, McCormick takes a step forward, and Seumalo goes back to his 2023 being fully recovered from injury.
But there’s also the world where everyone but Frazier works out.
I have faith in Frazier to be elite and think Fautanu could very well be a long term answer. I really do think seumalo was impacted by his injury and think he’ll be better. McCormick has that fire in him that I think is great for a lineman. Broderick is the one I worry about, but hopefully the move to left is the answer for him. Big year for him to splash or get off the pot
And the starters had better stay healthy, like in ’22.
Remember, even if Broderick isn’t a superstar this year. He is the youngest of the five starting lineman. He was drafted knowing he is going to be a project. Any kind of positive development probably warrants the 5th year option for Jones.
Geez Jeff, why “Worse” today, instead of “To Be Determined”, today?
To Be Determined isn’t an option, or else I would have! lol
Ugh. Maybe next time, like 10 stars for rating instead of five. I’d like the 10.
Probably better.
Fautano should be better than Jones was at RT. Probably.
Jones should match or surpass Moore at LT. Probably.
Seumalo should be the same.
Frazier & McCormick should improve.
But none of those are guaranteed. And some could crater….
TBD, with a splash of reasoned Dufresne.
You have more faith in Broderick Jones than I do.
Easy – worse. They could be better, but they can just as easily be a whole lot worse. Untill they prove it how can I possibly say anything else.
JoeB, you’re A-okay by me. Already determined.
Worse for sure. The compensatory pick strategy is what caused them to both allow Daniels to walk and kept them from swinging big to replace him in FA with an established, excellent RG. So, they decided to take the risk on McCormick.
They are also taking the risk on Fautanu becoming the first Steelers OL to switch sides successfully.
But the largest risk they took is retaining Meyer, whom these other risks all depend on. And, in my opinion, he has provided no evidence that he is capable.
The argument when I have expressed this in the past has been, “Well- if you discredit him for Dotson, Jones, Moore’s struggles, Green’s unsuccessful position switch, etc…then you have to credit him for Frazier’s success.” I disagree. First, on the sheer volume of bad examples vs good that my last sentence demonstrates. Secondly, Frazier was touted throughout last year’s draft as “likely the most NFL ready center with the highest floor in year one” when compared to the other players the Steelers could have drafted. (Essentially, he might not be the most talented but inherently knew the position and what he was doing the best because of the length of time he had played it.). I don’t give Meyer “credit” for his success as much as I believe he couldn’t screw him up. If, God forbid, Frazier ever had to switch positions, I’m confident Meyer would be more than capable of permanently destroying him.
So- Meyer’s presence + more questions = worse. I just don’t see any previous evidence that supports concrete belief that it will be better outside of hope so long as Meyer is still on staff.
Vinny, I’m sort of with you, and sort of not. To me, Kendrick was a multiply-faceted mistake, is not a good IOL, and has a job only due to a league-wide shortage of IOLs. Dotson was a mistake as he is a very good gap blocker and not-so-much good at zone blocking, per Canada’s system. Dotson’s been just fine w/McVay, as McVay has shifted more to power running.
As to Meyer, oh yes, he doesn’t seem to be helping, much. So he’ll complete his contract, unless Meyer goes Canada bad. Sure, hope is faith without proof. I still choose To be Determined.
It’s not just Zach Frazier, though, is it? By most accounts, Troy Fautanu had a tremendous camp / preseason last year and was slated to start the season as rookie. Isaac Seumalo made the Pro Bowl last year, albeit as an alternate. Mason McCormick saw a lot of playing time as a 4th round rookie and acquitted himself ok. Say what you will about Dan Moore Jr. but he played well enough to get a monster contract from another team. Clearly, he wasn’t as bad as Steeler fans made him out to be……or at least wasn’t perceived as bad by other teams.
Really, the only wart on Meyer’s work product last year was Broderick Jones, no?
I don’t know. I realize that Pat Meyer has become a whipping boy among Steelers’ fans but it seems like scapegoating to me.
You’ve a good point regarding Moore, he’s roughly average, a bit less so in pass pro. Okay for 4th round. LTs also earn a lot. Moore is NFL quality, if not Jon Kolb. And Meyer didn’t get C. Anderson or Cook hurt. I can change my mind about Meyer…dunno what the Steelers’s PTB will think. Fans will fan better or worse.
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a true Pittsburgh Steelers fan, since the 70’s the Steelers offensive line should get better this season and hopefully stay healthy because this will the first time playing together and they will be young and that’s why I keep saying that the N.F.L. preseason is too short because the Steelers offensive line need time to jell and get use to each other and the Steelers offensive line will get better each game once again all the sports media groups and Steelers haters with their rat poison doesn’t know what they are talking about
Let’s not forget that, for all of the talk of Broderick Jones returning to his “natural” spot at left tackle, he only spent one year there at Georgia, having spent his first year there at right tackle. At this point, Jones has way many more snaps at right tackle than left so changing to the left will likely present some challenges to him.
All this said, I expect that the line will be worse at the start of the season but that we’ll also see improvement as the season goes on. Better than this past year’s line by season’s end? That might ultimately be decided by how well Jones adjusts to the left. I have my doubts.
Well, all journeys begin with a single step. I look forward to potentially observing OL improvement in stadium.