The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent considerable resources on the offensive line this offseason, drafting offensive tackle Broderick Jones with the No. 14 overall pick and signing former Philadelphia Eagles offensive guard Isaac Seumalo in free agency. The Steelers have high hopes for Jones as a prospective left tackle, but Seumalo is sure to be an immediate-impact player.
The 29-year-old, and one of the top offensive guards in free agency, signed a three-year, $24 million deal with Pittsburgh. Seumalo was named a Pro Bowl alternate last year after helping the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII, and is certainly a loss for Philly. In fact, Eagles center Jason Kelce said Seumalo is one of the best players at his position.
"I think he's one of the best guards in the NFL, and I think he has been," Kelce said, via NFL.com. "I think he's one of the most consistent players I've ever been around, one of the most consistent people I've ever been around. So we're not going to replace Isaac, there's going to be someone new in there, and they're going to have their attributes that they're going to excel with, and I'm looking forward to seeing who does a really good job with that."
Seumalo has shown he can be successful both at left and right guard. In 1,135 offensive snaps last season, Seumalo allowed just one sack and received a 75.2 grade from Pro Football Focus. That grade was better than any of Pittsburgh's primary offensive linemen in 2022. He's an addition who should help expedite Kenny Pickett's development, and Kelce believes the Steelers got a steal.
"Isaac is a really, really special player," Kelce said. "I know we've said that here for a long time, and I still don't think people really truly grasp what he did for our room. And me personally, I think he's probably the smartest player I've ever been around. Really, really gifted physically, mentally, across the board. So I think the Steelers are getting a steal, that's a good pun, I guess."
