Here is the first in a position-by-position series on the Steelers at the conclusion of the 2023 season as they head into the start of the NFL free agent period, which opens March 13.
Offensive linemen (9): Dan Moore Jr., Isaac Seumalo, Mason Cole, James Daniels, Broderick Jones, Chuks Okorafor, Nate Herbig, Spencer Anderson, Dylan Cook
A Last Look at 2023
Unlike 2022, when the starting offensive line started all 17 games together intact and missed very little time, the 2023 offensive line had some injuries with which to deal.
Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. missed one game. Right guard James Daniels missed two games because of injuries. Left guard Isaac Seumalo, one of the team's big offseason free agent additions, didn't miss any starts, but was slowed, at times, by a shoulder issue.
Still, center Mason Cole played 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 2023. Seumalo played 97.1 percent. Moore was on the field for nearly 90 percent of the offensive snaps, while Daniels was at 88.2 percent.
Overall, that wasn't bad.
And considering the Steelers added plenty of depth in the offseason, signing Seumalo and Nate Herbig in free agency and moving up in the first round of the draft to select tackle Broderick Jones, they had planned ahead. They knew they couldn't tempt fate two years in a row by staying ridiculously healthy up front.
Chuks Okorafor began the season at right tackle, but when Jones performed well in a Week 5 win over the Ravens in place of an injured Moore, it was only a matter of time before Jones moved into the starting lineup on a permanent basis, something that happened a few weeks later.
The surprise was that Jones did so at right tackle instead of left, where he had largely worked throughout training camp.
But his addition to the starting lineup seemed to kick-start the running game. With two very good run-blocking offensive tackles – Moore and Jones – the Steelers averaged 141.6 rushing yards per game after making the change at right tackle.
If any offensive tackle in the NFL faced a stiffer test of pass rushers than Moore, it would be a surprise. In fact, he opened the season working against San Francisco's Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Cleveland's Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby of the Raiders. Moore would face Garrett twice, while also squaring off against Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson (twice), Jacksonville's Josh Allen and Houston's Jonathan Greenard. All finished in the top 10 this season in sacks.
Seumalo and Daniels were one of the top guard duos in the NFL, providing stability on the interior of the line, with Herbig providing solid play as the backup in the limited snaps he was needed.
While Cole played every snap and also was responsible for many of the line adjustment calls, he had an up-and-down year in his second season with the team, especially when it came to his shotgun snaps, especially against opponents who put a nose tackle right over him.
Rookie Spencer Anderson showed during training camp he could play all five spots on the offensive line. The seventh-round draft pick played just two snaps in 2023, but he could step into a more prominent role in 2024.
The Steelers also signed offensive tackle Dylan Cook after Tampa Bay released him from its practice squad, and he made the 53-man roster in training camp. But Cook did not play a single snap. Like Anderson, the 26-year-old Cook has promise, but will need a good second season with the team.
One Stat That Stood Out
The Steelers allowed just 36 sacks in 2023, the ninth-fewest total in the league. Per FTN Fantasy's DVOA stats, the offensive line's adjusted sack percentage, which accounts for opponents, the Steelers were the 10th-best pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL.
The line also ranked 10th in DVOA-adjusted rushing yards produced, as well.
When you're top-10 in both of those metrics, you are, by definition, a top-10 unit.
Looking Ahead to 2024
The Steelers have all nine members of their line under contract for the 2024 season. So, if they want to run it back with this group, they absolutely can.
The biggest question is whether or not Jones will stay on the right side of the line or switch to the left.
"Undecided as of yet," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference. "Obviously, he has capabilities in that area, but he was more than capable at right tackle, as well."
Like it did with outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who flipped sides in his second year in the NFL, it could be a matter of leaving it up to Jones and where he feels more comfortable. Jones appears to be a cornerstone around which the Steelers can continue to build.
Of the starters, only Seumalo is 30.
At just 22 years of age, Jones still has a lot of room to grow. And he should take a big jump from his rookie season to Year 2.
Seumalo and Daniels form one of the best guard tandems in the NFL, and Herbig is a quality backup that would start for many teams.
Moore also has 49 career starts under his belt, as well, so the future looks bright for this group.
