Steelers Offensive Line Filled Out Nicely in Offseason

Time to look at the big men upfront. The Steelers offensive line isn't as set in stone as it was in 2019, but it's still pretty sturdy and can be more dynamic than it has been.

Linemen on the Roster

Maurkice Pouncey, C
David DeCastro, G
Matt Feiler, G/T
Alejandro Villanueva, T
Zach Banner, T
Chuks Okorafor, T
Derwin Gray, T
John Keenoy, C
J.C. Hassenauer, C
Christian Montano, G
Kevin Dotson, T
Jarron Jones, OL
Anthony Coyle, T
Christian DiLauro, T
Stefen Wisniewski, G

Starting Four

We'll start with the starting four that we know: Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Alejandro Villanueva, and Matt Feiler - wherever he plays. As of now, these four will take the field for another season together. The third with Feiler as a starter.

There's not much worry. Pouncey is a future Hall of Famer who continues to prove himself as one of the best centers in the NFL. Working with Ben Roethlisberger behind him, there should be another level of confidence that returns in 2020.

DeCastro is a coming off a Pro Bowl season - his fifth-straight - and isn't slowing down anytime soon. He's only 30-years-old and has plenty of football left in him. 2020 isn't a concern.

Villanueva did show signs of slowing down last season and remains a concern for the team moving into training camp. He's not on the verge of losing his job, but there's no way this team will overlook the two young tackles behind him.

If the veteran needs to split reps at times, Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner are here to help.

Feiler is where it gets interesting. The once guard moved to tackle, is returning to guard - for now.

Tomlin made it official that Feiler will get opening reps at left guard this season while Banner and Okorafor compete for the right tackle job. This isn't much of a worry for the offensive line, as Feiler helped control Aaron Donald at guard last season and showed he was fine working on the inside again.

Banner and Okorafor

Since Tomlin opened up the right tackle competition, Banner and Okorafor have been blowing up social media with their quarantine workouts.

The Steelers draft Okorafor two years ago to be the guy who steps into a tackle position eventually. He's entering his third year in the NFL, and his development has hit a point where he could be considered for a starting role.

He's right on track for a third-round pick.

Banner might be a step ahead. The NFL journeyman is only one year deeper into his NFL career than Okorafor and has already played on three teams.

It wasn't the start he was hoping for as a fourth-round pick, but since coming to Pittsburgh, Banner has morphed into a competitive offensive lineman.

This is not going to be handed to anyone. Both have high expectations for the season, and whoever doesn't get the job is likely to take on the eligible receiver role.

Stefen Wisniewski

The hype around Wisniewski has somewhat settled since his signing. The hometown guard has two Super Bowl rings and brings one of the best 2019 playoff performances to Pittsburgh under a 2-year, $2.85 million deal.

But he isn't an early contender for a starting role. And honestly, it makes more sense for him not to be.

The Steelers have confidence in Feiler, Banner, and Okorafor. The three younger linemen are going to do fine filling Ramon Foster's role in 2020.

What Wisniewski can contribute to more is replacing B.J. Finney. It doesn't sound glamourous, but Finney was a Swiss army knife for the Steelers' offensive line. Without him, there's no guard-center combo to step in for Pouncey when needed.

If he's by far the best replacement for guard, then it's a no brainer to start him. Right now, keeping Wisniewski as the primary backup in the middle is smart for the longevity of the season.

Kevin Dotson

"Just from what I heard about this kid, there's nothing negative," offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett said during the NFL Draft. "I kept trying to find someone to say something negative about the kid — and I couldn't find it."

If it wasn't for a shortened offseason, Dotson could walk into Pittsburgh and legitimately compete for the starting guard position. He still can.

The Louisiana guard snuck into the fourth round of the NFL Draft because of lack of attention but brings much higher draft stock to the league. A first-team All-American, Dotson isn't a player who's walking into Pittsburgh with expectations to sit for long.

Derwin Gray and J.C. Hassenauer

Both Gray and Hassenauer are expected to be valuable practice squad players. Both spent most - all for Gray - of the 2019 season in Pittsburgh and are comfortable with the Steelers' system.

This offseason, that's going to mean more than anything, which players can adjust to the team quicker than others. These two are already comfortable.

There's a lot of depth in front of them to expect either to make a jump to the active roster, but they do provide a security blanket if the team needs to dig deeper into the roster at any point.

Christian DiLauro can also be considered for this list.

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.