Steelers will need patience with young offensive line

Almost all of the focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason and training camp has been centered around new quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. While they are going to be critical parts of the team's offense, a lot of their effectiveness is going to be impacted by what happens with the young — and mostly new — offensive line in front of them.

If the first two preseason games are any indication, they are going to need some patience with that group.

Neither Wilson or Fields has had adequate time to pass in their respective starts, while the running game has failed to gain any sort of traction in either game. While it would be easy to write that off as ordinary preseason rustiness and vanilla game-planning, it is still pretty clear the entire group is a work progress. Mainly due to inexperience and almost no time playing together at the highest level of the sport.

Three of the five spots on the line are likely to be occupied by new starters this season, including a pair of rookies in right tackle first-round pick Troy Fautanu and second-round pick center Zach Frazier.

Fautanu has already been named the team's starting right tackle despite dealing with a knee injury that is going to sideline him for the remainder of the preseason.

Frazier was always expected to be a starter at some point, but he's being forced into that role right from the start after veteran lineman Nate Herbig tore his rotator cuff to sideline him for the remainder of the season.

On the left side, second-year player Broderick Jones is competing with veteran Dan Moore Jr. for the tackle spot.

Jones spent the second half of the 2023 season playing at right tackle, but he's a natural left tackle and the Steelers are hoping he can secure that position.

But his early preseason performance has left a lot to be desired, and he was especially bad in Saturday's 9-3 loss against the Buffalo Bills when he was getting routinely beaten on his pass-rushing reps. Jones played well when inserted into the lineup late in the 2023 season and helped kickstart the Steelers' running game in the second half, helping lead them to a playoff spot. They are going to need him to repeat that on the left side while also taking another big step forward.

Sometimes a successful offensive line is not just about the talent of each individual player in the group. Chemistry, cohesiveness and just experiencing playing next to each other can also be a major factor. You do not get that without going through some early growing pains, especially as young players. The Steelers are likely to have a lot of that in the first half of the season as Jones, Fautanu and Frazier gain their first real NFL experience.