Steelers slated to have four offensive rookie starters for Week 1 showdown vs. the Bills

Najee Harris is not the one Steelers rookie who will begin in Pittsburgh’s season opener in Buffalo. We have identified for some time that third-round decide Kendrick Green would be a part of Harris within the beginning lineup. The previous Illinois lineman has loved a stellar coaching camp and can open the season because the Steelers’ beginning heart. Inexperienced will look to proceed Pittsburgh’s wealthy legacy on the place that was began by Ray Mansfield within the Nineteen Sixties and continued by Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Maurkice Pouncey. 

Two different rookies are poised to affix Harris and Inexperienced within the beginning lineup when the Steelers face the Bills. Included of their newest 53-man depth chart, the Steelers have promoted fourth-round decide Dan Moore Jr. to beginning left deal with. Fourth-year veteran Chukwuma Okorafor, who was slated to switch Alejandro Villanueva at left deal with, has moved again over to proper deal with. A part of the change was as a consequence of Zach Banner beginning the season on injured reserve. It was additionally partly as a consequence of Moore’s play and the truth that Okorafor merely performed higher at proper deal with throughout camp. 

The Steelers have additionally listed rookie tight finish Pat Freiermuth as a co-starter alongside veteran Eric Ebron. The second tight finish chosen within the 2021 draft, Freiermuth had an especially spectacular camp that noticed him catch two landing passes from Ben Roethlisberger throughout Pittsburgh’s third preseason game towards the Lions. All informed, the previous Penn State standout didn’t drop a single move throughout camp whereas shortly transferring up the depth chart. 

Pittsburgh can have two rookie offensive linemen within the beginning lineup when it faces a Payments protection that held Pittsburgh to simply 15 factors and 224 complete yards in Week 14 of the 2020 season. Buffalo’s beginning line of defense is comprised of defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison and tackles Ed Oliver and Star Lotulelei. Final season, the trio of Hughes, Addison and Oliver mixed to report 12.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 4 pressured fumbles. Lotulelei sat out the 2020 season as a consequence of COVID-19. 

The remainder of the Steelers’ beginning offensive line consists of second-year left guard and five-time Professional Bowl proper guard Trai Turner, who was acquired by the Steelers on July 25. Turner has 89 profession regular-season begins underneath his belt. The remainder of Pittsburgh’s beginning offensive line has a mixed 23 profession begins. 

Regardless of that inexperience, the Steelers have expressed optimism that they’ll have the ability to run the ball in addition to defend quarterback Roethlisberger. Moore, a Second Workforce All-SEC performer throughout his last season at Texas A&M, acquired excessive marks from his teammates throughout his first NFL coaching camp. 

“I undoubtedly really feel good with Dan,” Dotson said of Moore, by way of Jim Wexell of Metal Metropolis Insider. “He is a fast learner, so something you inform him he is making an attempt to adapt to, making an attempt to get proper on.”

What they lack in expertise, the Steelers’ offensive line hopes to make up for in physicality. Together with defending Roethlisberger, the unit is decided to assist the Steelers vastly enhance from what was the league’s lowest-ranked dashing assault in 2020. That is one of many predominant explanation why Pittsburgh spent a first-round decide on Harris, the reigning Doak Walker Ward winner. 

“They’re rising with every outing,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin not too long ago mentioned of his offensive line’s younger inside. “They’re going to be prepared on [September] 12.”

Can Large Ben return to glory? Will Najee Harris rush for 1,000 yards in his rookie season? Get the most recent Steelers scoop from Bryan DeArdo, our native skilled who’s on the bottom in Pittsburgh, by downloading the CBS Sports app. If you have already got the app, favourite the Steelers to get up-to-the-second news.