**Player: OL Nick Broeker**
**Stock Value: Purchased**
**Reasoning:** _In Nick Broeker, the Steelers have added another piece to add to the mix as they rebuild offensive line depth. While he has very little NFL playing experience, he has some positive qualities. He may be a better fit for Arthur Smith’s scheme, and he would have scouted Broeker in Atlanta._
History suggests that a player like Nick Broeker is not likely to crack the Steelers’ 53-man roster. But everybody with an NFL contract has a chance of making the team, and they do need depth. After losing three offensive linemen in free agency, they haven’t really restocked the shelves.
While they re-signed Calvin Anderson and Max Scharping, the Steelers have done little else for the unit. Even when they claimed a veteran off waivers in Lecitus Smith, they waived him again. But perhaps they waived Smith because they like Nick Broeker more.
I want to be very clear in saying this: the Pittsburgh Steelers will win the Super Bowl this season as a direct result of signing Nick Broeker a 2023 seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills who has nine career offensive snaps to his name. While they still need a franchise quarterback and a WR No. 2, among other things, this will set them right. Prepare the trophy room for another sticky Lombardi, because the Steelers are going for Broeker this year.
All kidding aside, though, which we all do whenever a team signs a player viewed as on the margins. The Steelers do have some potential openings along the offensive line in terms of depth. Even so, Nick Broeker has an uphill battle, because they already know the guys they have.
Behind the starters, the Steelers have Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum, Calvin Anderson, and Max Scharping. This is the same depth they finished with last season, even if it wasn’t their initial intention. Presumably, they would like to upgrade from this group, but somebody has to earn it. If the Steelers want to emphasize the run game, Broeker would do better in that environment. While they list him as a guard, he can also play tackle.
_With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that_ [_change the team talked about_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/steelers-make-their-coaching-changes-they-still-manage-to-disappoint/) _after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract._
_There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and_ [_the 2025 NFL Draft_](https://www.nfl.com/draft/)_. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?_