Steelers' overhaul along the offensive line has them ranked as a top 10 unit by national outlet

Not so long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the best offensive lines in the entire NFL.

Headlined by names like David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, and Marcus Gilbert, the group was the foundation of the Steelers' offensive success during the Killer B era.

But recent years saw a rag-tag group of linemen used by the team. Pittsburgh has addressed the deficiencies over the past two drafts and free agency periods and now have what could be one of the best units in the league according to PFF.

Steelers O-Line Ranked 9th by PFF

The Steelers spent back-to-back first-round picks on offensive tackles and then selected center Zach Frazier in the second round of this year’s draft. Those investments should pay off soon, and the team already got solid play from its guards in 2023. Isaac Seumalo, who Pittsburgh signed as a free agent last year, put together a good 2023 season after some initial struggles and finished the year as the 12th-highest-graded guard in the NFL. - Zoltán Buday, PFF

Now, Pittsburgh might opt to stick to tradition and make rookie center Zach Frazier and first-round pick Troy Fautanu "earn" their starting role, (which really means sit until the bye week) but recent reports have suggested that may be changing.

The belief is that Broderick Jones will move to left tackle, the position he was drafted to play, meaning rookie first-rounder Troy Fautanu and Dan Moore Jr. will be battling for the starting role at RT.

And while Moore catches some unneeded heat for his play at LT, playing him at RT is just an accident waiting to happen, leading me to believe that Fautanu will buck the trend and start from Week 1.

But the center position is interesting. Nate Herbig ran with the first-team offense for the majority of the spring, and Pittsburgh believes he can truly play the position even though he's a natural guard.

But I'm not sure there is a more ready-made center heading into his rookie year than Zach Frazier. An absolute wrecking ball with a mean streak, his tempo and tenacity alone would be hard to pass on if you're Pittsburgh.

So not only may the team be returning to their roots and have one of the best lines in the business this year, but it may come with the help of some rookies.