Steel City Blitz
An annual rite of passage… Our Training Camp Previews for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The concept here is pretty straightforward; we’ll take a look at each position. Who is vying for a place on the 53-man roster and how will that happen? Obviously there are some spots much each easier to break down than others but we’ll do our best to cover it all. Today we cover the Offensive Line.
While the plan wasn’t necessarily for Zach Frazier to start as soon as he did, when Nate Herbig went down with s serious injury, Frazier was the next man up and he didn’t disappoint. Frazier made numerous ‘All-Rookie’ teams blending a nice mix of power, quickness and smarts. There is work to be done and Frazier knows it better than most, but the foundation has been laid. I see no reason why he can’t be the anchor for the Steelers’ OL for the next decade.
Last season when Frazier missed a couple of games due to injury, Ryan McCollum stepped in admirably. He is not flashy and he isn’t going to challenge anyone across the NFL for a starting spot and that’s OK. McCollum understands his role as a backup center. He has to be ready to start or step in at a moment’s notice and that’s his role right now.
Much like Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick wasn’t supposed to be a starter as quickly as he was. Fate had other plans. When James Daniels went down with a season-ending Achilles injury, McCormick was forced into duty. Coming from the FCS level where he tossed around opponents like rag dolls, there were concerns about the jump in competition. While McCormick is still a work in progress – especially in pass protection – his experience last season was invaluable. Also like Frazier, he could be around for years to come.
My guess is that if you asked Isaac Seumalo about his 2024 campaign, he wouldn’t exactly gush with pride. That’s not to say he wasn’t a solid player, but due to some nagging injuries and the youthful shakeup along the front, he didn’t have his best year. As he gets closer to the end of his career, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him have a really solid season. Pencil him in as your starter at left guard as always.
Broeker has appeared in 12 games (no starts) during his first two years when he was in Houston. Originally a seventh round pick of the Bills, Broeker finds himself battling for a roster spot in Pittsburgh. It’s going to be a tall order for him for sure.
The former Oregon Duck spent his rookie season on the Jacksonville Practice Squad. He has tremendous size at 6’4″ and 340lbs and will likely have to make his home at guard where the...
