Unsung Hero In Front Office Already Paying Huge Dividends For The Steelers As Major Change Is Seen

The Pittsburgh Steelers might not be the juggernaut that fans want them to be, and the future of the quarterback position remains fairly bleak, but there has been steady improvements made by the people making the decisions in Pittsburgh. The offensive line has been a question mark for the last several seasons, but the Steelers seem to have things figured out in that regard. The youth that has been added to that group over the last several seasons seems to be developing beautifully, and the fan base has Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl to thank for that development.

Weidl's imprint is all over the league as he was an important part of building up a lot of the NFL's top franchises. He built up the Philadelphia Eagles and is a big reason their offensive line has been so good over the last few years. He also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens prior to that, and he was a reason Baltimore was able to win a Super Bowl in the early-2010s. He is starting to put together a good foundation in Pittsburgh. 

Offensive line guru Brandon Thorn had great things to say about second-year right tackle Troy Fautanu on his podcast Trench Warfare. 

"If I was picking a right tackle to start my team with, l'd pick Troy Fautanu over Darnell Wright," Thorn said. "Honestly, I have a higher grade on Fautanu and I still feel like he's a better player. He's a better athlete, he moves better, recovers better."

Pittsburgh drafted Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he missed nearly his entire rookie season after suffering a knee injury. Weidl is known as an executive who specializes in scouting, and he has always had an eye for play in the trenches. He seems to have a hit in Fautanu, and he has made major improvements throughout the rest of the line as well.

Thorn and his co-host Duke Manyweather were split on their third-team All-Pro right tackle, but one of them chose to go with Fautanu while the other was close. They both did happen to give that nod to center Zach Frazier too, who was a second-round pick for Pittsburgh in that same draft.

"He's extremely firm and stout in pass protection," Thorn said. "Pretty good mover in the run game, too. Takes good angles. Once he gets his hands on guys, he's just phenomenal about, in the second, third phase of the run block, sustaining, finishing. He can uproot guys on angle drive, base blocks. He was really good again this year. First two years in the league, it's as good as it gets."

Frazier has been great for the Steelers ever since he initially stepped on the field for the team. He is one of the most important players on the roster and he has certainly lived up to the hype of playing the center position in Pittsburgh. Fautanu and Frazier were the organization's top two picks in 2024, and Weidl and company seem to have hit the nail right on the head with those selections.

Steelers' Scouting Department Out-Did Itself In 2024

In addition to Fautanu and Frazier, Pittsburgh also seems to have landed its right guard of the future as well. Mason McCormick was a fourth-round pick for Pittsburgh during that same draft. It was not expected for him to make much of an impact, but he became a starter early on after an injury to James Daniels during his rookie year. McCormick has held the starting job ever since, and he seems to improving while showing a ton of potential. 

The young interior lineman has shown that he could be a Pro Bowl caliber player, which would make the 2024 draft class historical for the Steelers.

What do you think about what Weidl has done in Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation