This is the second in a series on the Steelers' roster as the team prepares to report to training camp at Saint Vincent College July 28. Today: Offensive line.
Offensive linemen: Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook, Greg Crippen, Jack Driscoll, Gennings Dunker, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Brock Hoffman, Max Iheanachor, Broderick Jones, Steven Jones, Ryan McCollum, Mason McCormick, Doug Nester, Lorenzo Thompson
How soon can the Steelers offensive line go from a work-in-progress to one of the NFL's best?
That's the question that lingers over the unit entering 2026, with homegrown talent up and down the line, from left to right.
New offensive line coach James Campen is far from new to the NFL. Campen has been coaching in the league since 2004 and helped put together some of the league's best offensive lines in his 15 seasons with Green Bay.
He'll get a chance to guide a young but promising Steelers line as they try to level-up in 2026. Troy Fautanu, who won't turn 26 until midway through this season, was the Steelers' first-round pick two years ago. Zach Frazier, the team's second-rounder in that draft, turns 25 in late August. And Mason McCormick, who turned 26 in May, was a fourth-rounder in that same class.
Broderick Jones, drafted a season before that trio, recently turned 25 himself. That doesn't even take into account this year's rookies, first-rounder Max Iheanachor (22) and third-rounder Gennings Dunker (23).
Dylan Cook, Spencer Anderson, Brock Hoffman and Ryan McCollum are effectively the elder statesmen of the group, and all are 28 or younger. Jack Driscoll, 29, is the oldest offensive lineman competing for a spot.
That competition figures to be fierce. Fautanu looks to be in line to start at left tackle after starting every game at right tackle a year ago. McCormick is poised to move in lockstep from the right side to the left side with Fautanu.
If Fautanu and McCormick are a traveling pair, then Cook and Anderson might be, too, as the incumbent veterans on the opposite side. But Iheanachor and Dunker are another duo, the fresh faces, and Hoffman is plenty capable of stating his case at either guard spot or as the backup center to Frazier.
Any one player can win a job outright, of course. As far as those tandems go, though, there's always something to be said for cohesion on the offensive line. And it could make sense from a developmental standpoint, too, given that Iheanachor and Dunker must adjust to the speed of the NFL game.
On the heels of his significant neck injury last season at Chicago, Jones has gone from foundational piece of the puzzle to more of a wild card with upside. Jones still has much potential at either tackle spot, particularly if he can bridge the gap to Iheanachor on the right.
Because the Steelers can live in a few different worlds when it comes to their offensive line this season. They can roll with one or both rookies from the beginning if they deem Iheanachor or Dunker to be ready. The draft picks can be brought along slowly while more experienced options hold the line. Or they can stay on the shelf for an entire year of seasoning if that's what's right for the team this season.
That's what training camp and preseason action will determine, the best path forward for the Steelers offensive line in the short term and long term. With how much has been invested, it's reasonable to expect it to be solid at worst and possibly even dominant.
Campen will oversee the work with a big-time assistant from a big-time former NFL guard. Jahri Evans, assistant offensive line coach, was a four-time first-team All-Pro with New Orleans and now a three-time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Evans wet his coaching feet with the Saints the past four seasons and now will contribute to a room that lost its most venerable stalwart from the last few years. Isaac Seumalo was a starting left guard but also a respected master of his craft who led by example as the only 30-something of the crew for much of his Steelers tenure.
With Fautanu as the anchor, Frazier as the linchpin and a number of candidates revolving around them, the Steelers may just have their deepest offensive line of this decade. The future is bright, but so is the present.
