Credit Steelers GM Kevin Colbert for building a promising rushing attack in 2021
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in unchartered territory. For the first time in a long time, the team had no choice but to revamp the offensive line. The Steelers pride themselves on imposing their will on both sides of the football.
Last year witnessed an anomaly under OC Randy Fichtner. They were mainly a pass-first team while finishing dead last in the NFL in rushing (84.4 yards per game). A far cry from respectability.
Fichtner was not retained while new OC Matt Canada picks up the pieces. Luckily for the Steelers, they also have arguably the best GM in the NFL in GM Kevin Colbert. Since taking over GM duties in 2010, Colbert has done a tremendous job in keeping the Gold Standard afloat.
During the offseason, Colbert had the challenging task of rebuilding his offense-- starting with the offensive line.
Where are they now?
Four of their five starters are no longer with the team in 2021. Their blindside LT Alejandro Villanueva jumped ship to join the division rival Baltimore Ravens, OG Matt Feiler bolted for the Los Angeles Chargers, three-time All-Pro OG David DeCastro was released due to ligament damage in his ankle, and five-time All-Pro OC Maurkice Pouncey elected to retire.
Despite those losses, the Steelers quickly bolstered their line with infused youth. The team has high hopes for second-year phenom OG Kevin Dotson, they drafted both LT Dan Moore Jr. and OC Kendrick Green in this year’s draft and picked up one of the best plug-and-play interior linemen in OG Trai Turner.
The Najee Harris Factor
Growing pains will occur, but when you also double down on those gains by drafting my No. 4 ranked player on my Big Board at No. 24 as I predicted (see tweet above), that only is going to expedite the smash-mouth, north-south, ground-and-pound, impose your will down in the trenches game-plan.
Harris is my draft crush. That is no secret, and it’s not just because he’s from the Bay Area. I covered him at Alabama back in 2019 and before that high school. The same physical traits I saw then have translated now.
I fully expect the Steelers to do what they do best. Dominate the line of scrimmage. Some fans are pessimistic. They just look at what’s on paper and say, “these young players can’t hold up for a full 17-game schedule,” but I respectfully disagree.
Will there be an adjustment period? Absolutely. Will QB Ben Roethlisberger get rattled at times going up against EDGE rushers like Browns DE Myles Garrett, Broncos OLB Von Miller, and Chargers OLB Joey Bosa? No question. Will the team be forced into one-dimensional football in some critical points in a game? Yes.
But an empire wasn’t built overnight. The Steeler tradition has a rich history in developing young players. They don’t overspend in free agency but rather build their team organically by drafting home-grown talent. It’s the Steeler Way.
The combo of Dotson, Green and Turner on the interior is a good mix. Will they replicate the production left behind by perennial Pro Bowlers? Probably not. At least not in year 1. But the signs are there for all three to receive those year-end accolades.
Bottom Line
In the end, while the Steelers did lose an abundance of veteran talent along the offensive line, don’t quickly dismiss the younger replacements as the “Standard is the Standard.”
Look for Harris to be in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year while racking up a stat line similar to 260 carries for 1,248 rushing yards, and 13 TDs. For a guy who has year-end voting rights for PFWA (Pro Football Writers Association), I’ll be watching.
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