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The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested a ton of draft capital into their offensive line rebuild over the past few seasons. What was once one of the weaknesses of the team has slowly become one of the most intriguing groups for the Black and Gold. Through multiple first- and mid-round picks, the team has established a promising young core of linemen, who are all looking to take a step toward eliteness. The 2026 season will be a big one, as there have been reports that players will be shuffling what sides they'll be on.
Pittsburgh's line will have to keep its 42-year-old quarterback upright in 2026. The group took a noticeable step forward in improving on its number of sacks allowed; and, while Aaron Rodgers' ability to get the ball out quickly helped, there was some progress in that department.
Run blocking will be the next area of growth, but that will come in time for such a young line. Cohesion is what will help it, too, with many of the same players projected to be playing together once again. The ability to mesh can help the unit take the next step.
One spot that will change, though, is at right guard. With Mason McCormick and Troy Fautanu rumored to be the starters on the left side, that leaves the right side with some new faces. Right guard is an important aspect of that, which McCormick held down last season, and the NFL's Matt Okada wrote that the position is the team's biggest weakness.
"The Steelers are in decent shape across the entire roster after plugging several holes this offseason, with additions like Michael Pittman Jr. at WR2 and Jamel Dean at corner," Okada wrote. "The weakest area is probably right guard, with Mason McCormick apparently moving to left guard to fill the void left by Isaac Seumalo (signed with Arizona in free agency). It’s probably a race between free-agent addition Brock Hoffman, 2023 seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson, and rookie third-rounder Gennings Dunker. Whoever wins will be tasked with protecting 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, so it’s a particularly crucial hole to plug."
There has yet to be a starter named for the position, and it'll be a hot topic of conversation throughout the upcoming training camp. Pittsburgh will have to find a way to put the best man for the job out there, as it will be pivotal to keep Rodgers out of harm's way.
With Gennings Dunker being a rookie and making a position change from college to the pros, he'll have the most difficulty earning the spot. His game is still raw, and the pick was clearly for the future, and not the now. That doesn't mean he won't ever start, but just not yet. That leaves Anderson and Hoffman to battle it out in camp.
Anderson was a seventh-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft, and his versatility as an extra lineman and depth piece has proven to be a huge help to the team. He has been with the team and has experience playing guard, but Hoffman is one of the new head coach Mike McCarthy's former players.
He could have a leg up because of that, but it will all come down to their performances in camp. No matter what, the Black and Gold have a ton of depth on their line, so there's no shortage of options. Though a revolving door at positions of the line could be a bad thing for the ever-so-important cohesion of the group, the coaching staff will need to nail this choice.
Steelers Investments Are Really Paying Off
Pittsburgh's use of draft capital on the line has really been a strong point lately. Players like McCormick and the center Zach Frazier are already some of the best at their positions, and they still have room to grow.
The front office was aware that they used a lot of draft picks on trench players, but that's what Steeler football is all about. It's already paying dividends.
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