Much of what the Steelers want to do on offense in 2023 will depend on how well they play up front. And, after an offseason that focused heavily on reinforcing the offensive line, is it enough to transform this team back into a legitimate playoff contender?
Welcome to the fourth edition of our 2023 Steelers positional preview, in which we will break down and preview each position on the roster to get you ready for that wonderful first training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
Throughout this series, we'll take a look back at how each position fared in 2022, how that position was addressed in the offseason and wrap up with how it looks heading into 2023. Of course, the roster can still go through some changes between now and when the roster is cut down to 53 players. But, this will help give you a better understanding of how the team is shaping up heading into the season and how realistic it is for them to get back to a playoff chase or maybe even a division title.
This is the fourth and final preview on offense, as we've already touched on the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers/tight ends. Everything that the Steelers want to do on offense -- along with how Kenny Pickett fares in Year 2, and how well the Steelers can run the ball -- depends heavily on how much they can dominate the line of scrimmage.
2022 IN REVIEW
The Steelers turned the page from a horrid performance up front in 2021 by being aggressive in free agency. Pittsburgh signed center Mason Cole and guard James Daniels, replacing the two weakest parts of the 2021 offensive line in rookie Kendrick Green and Trai Turner. The latter was quickly shown the door, never to return, and Green was relegated to a competition with Kevin Dotson for the starting left guard position.
The only two carryovers from 2021 into 2022 without any real question was Dan Moore at left tackle and Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. The Steelers had much more faith in Okorafor's future, giving him a three-year, $29.25-million contract extension. Moore's future wasn't quite as solid, but the Steelers were willing to go into another season with the former fourth-round pick as the man to protect Mitch Trubisky's (and Kenny Pickett's) blindside.
A starting five of Moore, Dotson, Cole, Daniels and Okorafor wasn't going to leap off the page and scream that this was a top-10 group in the league. But, it had potential. More important, the additions of Cole and Daniels allowed the Steelers to transition to a more zone-heavy running scheme given their experience elsewhere in running similar schemes.
However, that was going to come with a lengthy adjustment period. Not only did the new starting five have to gel with each other, they had to learn a zone scheme all together. That takes time. Zone blocking relies heavily on all five linemen being on the same page with each other, moving fluidly while understanding and anticipating where each man is supposed to go.
The anticipated adjustment period took a long time -- half of the season. Blocks weren't won often enough. Guys didn't get to their spots quickly enough. Seldom was anything fluid. This poorly executed zone run was a perfect example of just how ugly things could be during the first eight games of the season.
Daniels gets pushed back badly. Okorafor is too late getting to the second level. For a run to the right side, whiffs by the two guys on the right side can't happen. Everything else falls apart.
The Steelers averaged an abysmal 94.9 yards on the ground during the first eight games of the season. For a team that wanted to run the football successfully, something needed to happen.
A wake up call during the bye in Week 9 was the catalyst for a turnaround. The Steelers made a newfound commitment to getting everything right in the running game, and it showed in just about every game the rest of the way. The Steelers averaged 146 yards per game on the ground over the final nine games of the season, and the offensive line executing blocks to near perfection became a more regular occurrence:
While the offensive line figured things out in run blocking, pass protection remained inconsistent throughout the season. According to Pro Football Focus, Dotson was the most consistent pass blocker, but he committed 12 penalties, which hurt his overall performance. Daniels proved to be a worthy pass blocker, allowing zero sacks all season. He also committed five penalties, a respectable number.
The vote of confidence in Moore didn't quite pay off, as he allowed seven sacks and committed 10 penalties. Okorafor was rather inconsistent, but still managed to turn in a respectable season with only three sacks allowed and four penalties committed.
Cole had a decent performance in his first season as the Steelers' center, but took over the natural leadership role for the unit, despite not being the most vocal guy. As for Green, despite starting 15 games at center during his rookie season, he completely fell off the radar and was inactive all season. Part of that was him losing the left guard competition to Dotson in the preseason, and part of it was due to a lack of any outstanding performance to earn a helmet. But, another part of it was perhaps the most outstanding fact about the 2022 Steelers' offensive line.
The entire starting five made all 17 starts. Cole missed some snaps with a couple of lower-body injuries, but bounced back the following week to make the next start. That just doesn't happen in football. But, the Steelers got really lucky in that department, and it paid off in helping the unit gel together over the course of the season.
THE OFFSEASON
Overall, Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin were encourage by the offensive line's growth in 2022. But, Khan knew the Steelers weren't going to get that lucky at avoiding injuries again. It's unheard of for an entire starting five to make every single start in a season. Khan, Tomlin and the rest of the front office went into the offseason with a game plan to not only deepen the line, but maybe even upgrade it. And, despite the weakest link being Moore at left tackle, the Steelers went into free agency with the interior of the line as a higher priority.
The Steelers addressed that first by signing Nate Herbig, who spent the 2022 season with the Jets, but had familiarity with Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl from their days together with the Eagles. Herbig's addition gave the Steelers some solid depth at guard, and maybe also someone to challenge Green at center.
However, Khan followed up a few days later with an impact signing for the offensive line, adding former Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo on a three-year, $24-million contract. A solid run blocker and stout pass protector, Seumalo's addition undoubtedly fortified the interior of the line, ranking 10th of 77 guards by PFF.
The Steelers waited until the draft to make an impact at tackle, and made it the top priority right away by trading up three spots in the first round to select Broderick Jones out of Georgia. Jones comes in as an accomplished and physical run blocker with the tools and size to learn how to become a formidable NFL pass protector.
The additions of Herbig, Seumalo and Jones was one of the crowning achievements of Khan's work in the offseason. He took an improved group up front and not only fortified it with quality depth, but upgraded it to the point where Cole might be the weakest member of the starting five. That's a recipe for a potential top-10 unit in the league, and that aligns with the Steelers' desire to run the football effectively and often in 2023.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2023
The Steelers are dedicated to running the football first in 2023, which is why fortifying the offensive line was such a priority for Khan. One trait a lot of the players up front have in common is physicality. They want to beat up the opposition. There's no question about that.
But, the moves were made with the intention of giving Pickett a clean pocket to throw from much more often. Pickett's biggest weakness during his rookie season was abandoning the pocket too early and too often. With stout pass blockers in Seumalo and Daniels on the interior and a potential franchise left tackle in development, Pickett should see more time to throw from the pocket. That will allow Matt Canada to hopefully do much more with the play calling.
The Steelers likely won't carry more than eight offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, so this leaves the starting five being -- from left to right -- Jones, Seumalo, Cole, Daniels and Okorafor, with the three backups being Moore, Dotson and Herbig.
A strong camp by Green could toss his hat in the ring and give the Steelers a true backup at center. Yes, Daniels has 508 snaps at center in his career, but all of those came in the 2019 season. Herbig's logged snaps at center as recently as 2021, but still only has a total of 49 career snaps. Even so, it's difficult to imagine Green claiming one of eight precious roster spots after not getting a helmet even once in 2022.
As far as tackle goes, Jones could very realistically win the starting left tackle job straight out of preseason. Even if he doesn't, he'll eventually supplant Moore. In turn, Moore can be a very valuable and quality swing tackle that can be the first one off the bench should Jones or Okorafor go down with an injury.
The Steelers are investing more up front because they believe it will make them more successful now and in future seasons. Four free-agent signings over the past two offseasons, a second contract last spring and a first-round pick this spring are the actions that speak louder than words. Fortifying the line was a high priority. Now, it's time to see if it pays off.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Left Tackle:
• Broderick Jones
• Dan Moore
Left Guard:
• Isaac Seumalo
• Kevin Dotson
Center:
• Mason Cole
• Nate Herbig
Right Guard:
• James Daniels
• Nate Herbig
Right Tackle:
• Chukwuma Okorafor
• Dan Moore
2023 STEELERS POSITIONAL PREVIEW SERIES
Previously...
• Quarterback
• Running Back
• Wide Receiver/Tight End
Still to come...
• Defensive Line/Edge Rusher (July 21)
• Inside Linebacker (July 24)
• Secondary (July 25)
• Special Teams (July 26)
