The Steelers lost starting LG Isaac Seumalo in free agency, but will it be a rookie guard in the draft who replaces him? Veteran Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo thinks that’s a distinct possibility. While the team has Spencer Anderson and just signed Brock Hoffman, there isn’t a clear heir apparent.
“Maybe [Brock] Hoffman pushes Spencer Anderson at left guard, but don’t forget, they’re probably gonna draft a guard with one of the first five picks”, Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan yesterday. “That’s a big hole on the roster right now. I don’t know that they want to go into the year with Spencer Anderson as their starter. They can do that if they want to, but I think you’ve got five picks in the top 100. I think there’s a reason they didn’t fill that spot in free agency; I think there’s gonna be a rookie who’s involved in that competition as well”.
The Steelers signed Isaac Seumalo in free agency in 2023 and he served as their starting left guard for three seasons. Since then, they have drafted five offensive linemen, all of which could be starting in 2026. That is if Spencer Anderson wins the starting left guard job and Broderick Jones returns at left tackle. Zach Frazer, Mason McCormick, and Troy Fautanu—all 2024 draft picks—are fixed from center to right tackle.
The Steelers did not draft a guard last year to be Seumalo’s heir apparent. In fact, they didn’t draft an offensive lineman at all, for the second time in four years. But drafting five linemen in a two-year span can do that for you, especially when all of them stick.
As Fittipaldo points out, the Steelers have three third-round picks, which is a good spot for this draft’s guard class. They have their natural first-, second-, and third-round picks. They also have the Cowboys’ third-round pick from the George Pickens trade, 76th overall. Thanks to losing Dan Moore Jr. last year, they also have the top compensatory pick, 99th overall.
It’s worth noting that the Steelers also have two draft picks in the fourth round, still in range for a guard. The Steelers used a fourth-round draft pick on Mason McCormick in 2024, who game a starting guard as a rookie. Of course, not all mid-round picks work out that well.
While former OL coach Pat Meyer developed this young group, Pittsburgh brought in a seasoned coach this year. James Campen has a history of developing young talent, so if the Steelers do draft a guard, he could maximize the rookie’s chances of being ready to start at some point this season.
In the meantime, Spencer Anderson has been no worse than serviceable as a spot starter for the past two years. Brock Hoffman also has about a season’s worth of starting experience in his three-year career. Between the two, they could bridge the back before a rookie is ready. Unless one of them claims the starting job for himself outright, which is also distinctly possible. But Ray Fittipaldo believes a rookie draft pick will be firmly in the mix for the Steelers’ left guard job.
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