LATROBE, Pa. -- When Mike Munchak left the Steelers in the offseason there was reasonable concern over the future of the offensive line. When he arrived in 2014, the line was young but inconsistent and struggled against big opponents. But in his five years with the team he had multiple All-Pro players and developed several undrafted players into reliable starters.
Munchak's replacement, Shaun Sarrett, has been with the Steelers for seven years and is working to keep business as usual on what's become the most consistent group on the team. But can Sarrett continue the Steelers' production of good depth within the offensive line? Our Dale Lolley wrote back in January about Sarrett's connection with the players, which has the arrow pointing up for the future of the line.
Let's look at some of the players the Steelers know they can rely on, and some who will be looking to prove themselves against the Buccaneers Friday night:
The Steelers know they have reliable guys behind their starters; B.J. Finney is chief among the reserves with his nine starts in his three years with the team. He can bounce between center and either guard position and made his name by being tough in the A-gap.
Watch how he performed at right guard against the Buccaneers last year when he went one-on-one with All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. McCoy is the biggest threat to the Steelers on this play, yet Finney takes him on by himself and stonewalls him at the line, allowing James Conner the space to find his hole and pick up the first down that sealed the game:
Finney is a key replacement in the group, but he's not alone among reserve linemen who look capable of coming in during emergency situations. Chukwuma Okorafor had a strong showing in his start against the Broncos when he routinely faced Von Miller, a highly decorated superstar edge rusher.
Though Okorafor allowed a sack, it was the only one he did in a long game against one of the NFL's best pass rushers. That's huge for a rookie and highlighted how the fundamentals he does have in his game can make him competitive in this league, though he still has work to do.
Watch how Okorafor, at right tackle, backs off Miller on his edge rush here. Conner stays back to help for a second, but eventually releases to become a target. Okorafor walls off Miller just long enough for Ben Roethlisberger to step up in the pocket and find Jesse James:
Okorafor is behind Matt Feiler in the tackle race, but with Feiler also being an option at guard, he could see time there should Ramon Foster or David DeCastro go down in conjunction with Maurkice Pouncey, since Finney is the backup center.
But the guys behind them are also intriguing, especially third-year pro Zach Banner and Fred Johnson, an undrafted free agent out of Florida. Both are behemoths -- Banner at 6-foot-8, 360 pounds, Johnson at 6-7, 326. Banner has been repeatedly tested all through camp and drawing praise from Mike Tomlin during line drills and matchups.
On Wednesday, Tomlin kept matching up Banner with T.J. Watt and although Watt won the first battle, Banner battled back and won several of the reps.
Tomlin looking what he’s seeing out of Zach Banner. He goes up against Watt and stuffs a solid swim move. “OK 72!” Banner looking really good. #Steelers #dkps
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) August 7, 2019
When I went to talk to Banner after his strong practice he said, "Sorry, man. Go talk to the five old guys," referring to the starters on the offensive line, "I've got work to do." He's been like that all training camp: All business, no talk. That's what the Steelers want to see from players trying to earn a roster spot.
Johnson is a huge guard who is extremely strong when he gets his hands on opponents. He shows promise, but still has a way to go when it comes to footwork and keeping his feet active once he's engaged.
All of them will get to show their progress against the Buccaneers. Although they won't get to see any snaps against Ndamukong Suh, they might get some shots at the 12th overall pick of the 2018 draft, defensive tackle Vita Vea, who is a huge athletic freak at the position. Keep an eye out for how they match up with the Buccaneers' reserve linemen and we'll have a better idea of how much work Sarrett will have on his hands.
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