Omar Khan's Steelers Draft Decisions Are Facing A Painful Reckoning

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent four drafts trying to build an offensive line that could anchor their offense. After a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots, the question is why so much draft capital has produced a group that still cannot consistently protect its quarterback.

Pittsburgh selected three offensive tackles in the first round under Khan: Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor. The team also drafted center Zach Frazier in the second round and guard Mason McCormick in the fourth. That is a substantial commitment to one unit, which makes Sunday's breakdown especially difficult to explain away. 

Chris Carter examined the issue on Locked On Steelers after New England repeatedly reached Aaron Rodgers. His concern went beyond one poor performance. He questioned where Khan's major line investments stand right now.

"This team, in the last four drafts, Omar Khan's only four drafts, three of those picks are first-round offensive tackles," Carter said. "They got a second-round center and a fourth-round guard."

The names behind those picks make the situation sharper. Jones was traded to the Dallas Cowboys before the 2026 season. Iheanachor is a rookie still developing, rather than an immediate solution to what happened Sunday. Fautanu started after a promising 2025 campaign, but Carter has been disappointed by what he has seen from the tackle through two games.

"One of those tackles is already gone. Another tackle isn't ready yet," Carter said. "The tackle that was really good last year has looked terrible in the next two games. Your center is the only guy holding it together, and now even he is starting to become overwhelmed."

Those are Carter's evaluations, not a final judgment on anyone's career. Two games do not erase Fautanu's previous work, and Iheanachor deserves development time. Still, the Steelers have a problem right now: Rodgers is taking hits and the offense cannot stay on schedule.

New England sacked Rodgers four times, and Pittsburgh managed only 235 total yards while converting two of 12 third downs. A protection breakdown produced a blindside hit and a loose ball that helped create fourth-and-43. Another strip-sack became a Patriots defensive touchdown. Those plays were costly evidence of how quickly an offense can collapse when its protection and communication fail together.

Khan's repeated draft investment showed that he understood how much the Steelers needed a stronger front. Carter's point is that spending premium selections does not automatically deliver one. The return on those picks must eventually show up when a defense attacks Pittsburgh with pressure and forces the group to solve problems during a game.

Frazier remains an important piece, but asking the center to keep everything steady while the tackles and guards struggle is an unsustainable plan. Blocking requires five players to communicate and execute together. One lineman can make the right decision and still watch a free rusher destroy a play through a mistake elsewhere.

Steelers Should Ask Some Omar Khan Questions

The response cannot wait for Iheanachor to become a polished starter. Mike McCarthy has already said the offense was not clean enough and indicated that its game plan would be scaled back. That may give the line clearer assignments, but the coaches must also determine whether their current personnel can handle the pressure looks opponents are likely to keep showing them.

After the Patriots loss, Fautanu acknowledged that the line was not connecting well and said something had to change. That is a meaningful admission from one of the first-rounders central to Carter's criticism. The immediate goal is to eliminate the free runs at Rodgers and create enough dependable blocking for the offense to function, regardless of where each player was drafted.

Khan's effort to rebuild the line should be judged over more than two weeks, but Carter is right to demand progress before the problems grow. Pittsburgh drafted these players to give its offense a stable base. Until they play like one unit, each new breakdown will make that investment harder for Steelers fans to believe.

Do you still trust Khan's offensive line plan for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Share your take with me on X at @anthonyghalkias, and follow me for more Steelers analysis.

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