What To Expect from the Steelers Offensive Line After This Year

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Trai Essex

Essex has yet to establish himself as starting material.  He has an uphill climb. The only position he can compete for is right tackle. 

One of the more intriguing battles at camp will be between Colon and Essex.  I look for Colon to keep his job.

A.Q. Shipley

Falling to the seventh round, Pittsburgh selected A.Q. Shipley out of Penn State.  Shipley was an All-American, an All-Big 10 first teamer, and the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year.

Shipley reminds me of a young Mike Webster.  Webster came to the Steelers in the fifth round of the vaunted 1974 draft class.

Both were undersized, Shipley at 6'0", 298 lbs, and Webster at 6'1", 255 lbs. 

The biggest knock on Shipley is his size and reach.  Most scouts believed that if Shipley were three inches taller, he would have been the first center taken in the draft.

Shipley also grew up in Pittsburgh, rooting for the Steelers.  Scoring a 40 on the Wonderlic test, Shipley has the brains to man the position, provided he has the work ethic to develop the physical skills.

What does the future hold?

As I stated earlier, the left side of the line, the most important side, is under contract for at least the next four years.

Starks and Kemoeatu will need to get together and become close to the unit that was there when Marvell Smith and Alan Faneca were there.  With their size, strength, and experience winning the Super Bowl, these two young men should be ready to step up and lead this unit.

At center, A.Q. Shipley has two years to get ready to take over the role he has always dreamed of having.  The Steelers have a history of great centers, from Mike Webster to Dermonti Dawson to Jeff Hartings.

With the exception of the last couple of years, the center position for the Steelers has been one of the constants, having only three hold the position from 1974 until Hartings retired in 2006.

With his smarts and work ethic, along with the desire to play for his favorite team, Shipley will excel once he is ready to take over the starter's job.

At right guard, Darnell Stapleton is not going to be able to hold off rookie Kraig Urbik very long.  Urbik has the size, and more importantly the ability, to be a long-time starter in the NFL.

If Stapleton can hold him off this year, I don't think he will be able to much longer after that.  I look for Urbik to be a Faneca-type player within three years.

The biggest question mark is at right tackle.  Is Willie Colon or Trai Essex the answer?  I am not sure.  But if neither of them can step up, it is going to have to be addressed.

The Steelers line has the ability to grow together over the next couple of years and become one of the strongest units on the team.  But only if the players are willing to do the work that will make it happen.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?