Steelers' Offensive Line Has A New Unexpected Leader

The Pittsburgh Steelers' goal for the past three seasons has been to build through the trenches. They've drafted offensive linemen with three of their last four first-round picks, with defensive lineman Derrick Harmon being the exception. So far, this plan is going well. The Steelers have one of the best young ascending offensive lines across the NFL, and it's anchored by Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. The unit will look to take the next step in 2026, though they have one obstacle to overcome: replacing guard Isaac Seumalo, who left for the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. Replacing him will be challenging both on and off the field. 

When Seumalo signed in 2023, he had very high expectations as he was coming from the Philadelphia Eagles. He was solid in his Steelers tenure, but his play was inconsistent at times, mainly due to injuries. Through the inconsistent play, one thing was for sure: Seumalo was a great leader in the locker room. With the Steelers' offensive line being so young, Seumalo's voice became all the more powerful. Now that he's gone, they will have to replace him, and, according to Fautanu, they may have already done so.

The former Washington product recently appeared in a press conference after the team's first Organized Team Activities practice. Fautanu mentioned that everyone has stepped up in leadership and been more vocal since Seumalo's loss, and even said that assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans has filled the role he left behind. Evans is now the one everyone goes to with questions.  

"Obviously, missing Isaac in terms of leadership and having him there. But Jahri has kind of been that role for us," Fautanu said. "I feel like, you know, he's kind of, with all the games that he's played -- I asked him last week, I asked how many starts did he have in the NFL. He said 180 something, and I was like, that's crazy."

Evans has recently been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he has yet to be inducted. He is, however, a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, being one of the most dominant guards of the decade. He's now coaching with his second NFL franchise, having previously been part of the New Orleans Saints' staff. It seems like he's already making a big impact on not just the young players, but the veterans as well. 

With the Steelers having so many young offensive linemen, it's good to have a guy like Evans around. Someone who played recently and had lots of success as a player, he is someone the players can not only look up to but also relate to. The players had to learn from Seumalo how to be leaders; now they have Evans to show them the way. It was known that Seumalo was more of a lead-by-example type of player; perhaps Evans can give them a different perspective.

Steelers' Evans Hire Might Be Extremely Underrated

While Evans' NFL coaching career has lasted just four seasons so far, he's seen some solid offensive linemen with the Saints—players like Kelvin Banks, Erik McCoy, and Taliese Fuaga. Banks had a nice rookie season, and Fuaga is young and on the rise. Evans won't be able to see their development through, but it looks promising. Now he'll get to work with Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker, two of the Steelers' rookie offensive linemen. 

With Iheanachor so raw, and Dunker needing lots of help with his handwork, it will be good to have a likely future Hall of Fame guard to learn from. He will be able to connect with them from a coaching standpoint and on a personal level, as he was a player not so long ago. With the Steelers revamping the entire coaching staff, they now have new faces and voices in the building, and it's great to see a new assistant coach already taking on a leadership role. 

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