There might not be a single analyst who studies offensive line play like Brandon Thorn. He released his 2026 rankings and evaluated the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new-look front five.
Thorn ranked Pittsburgh’s unit 18th in overall talent. Working under the assumption that rookie OT Max Iheanachor would start, a belief that will come true sooner or later, the Steelers have the third-youngest line in football. With 91, they also rank last in total starting experience.
Still, Thorn sees plenty of promise.
“Frazier is a top-two center in the NFL,” Thorn wrote in his OL Almanac column for his Trench Warfare Substack. “He’s an 86 overall and displays rare leverage and play strength that translate to functional dominance in both phases. Fautanu’s move to left tackle next to McCormick (who were both college left-siders) blunts some of the normal concern in switching sides, and his own 80 overall (boosted by one of the league’s best snatch-trap techniques) bolsters his projection.”
Mike McCarthy opted to flip Fautanu and McCormick to the left side after beginning their careers at right tackle and right guard, respectively. Doing so keeps the pair together and puts Fautanu in a premium spot, even if the league offers pass rushers capable of aligning all over. Frazier anchors the middle with Thorn calling him the NFL’s second-best center. Frazier will look for his first Pro Bowl or All-Pro bid this season and, in the offseason, a long-term contract.
Like many, Thorn’s issues reside on the right side. Spencer Anderson is poised to start at right guard after serving as Pittsburgh’s sixth offensive lineman last year. Iheanachor is battling Dylan Cook for the right tackle spot, with a winner undecided, or at least undeclared, by McCarthy.
“If Iheanachor hits, this talent rank will clear 18th by season’s end,” Thorn wrote.
Thorn also noted Pittsburgh’s offensive line is the “cheapest” in terms of cap allocation. That’s not due to a lack of investment but the reality of the group playing on rookie contracts. If Iheanachor starts, every member of Pittsburgh’s starting five will be on their rookie deal. That could change in a year from now. McCormick and Frazier will be in line for extensions, Anderson is a pending free agent (though rookie Gennings Dunker could replace him), and Pittsburgh could pick up the fifth-year option on Fautanu.
New offensive line coach James Campen is in charge of developing the group. He worked with Mike McCarthy for over a decade in Green Bay and is a well-respected coach, although his success with the Packers hasn’t carried over to his other NFL stops.
In Thorn’s rankings, Pittsburgh has the second-best offensive line group. Only the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 14 rank higher. The Baltimore Ravens come in at No. 21, while the Cleveland Browns’ brand-new group ranks near the bottom at No. 31.