Despite a draft day haul that included Stanford guard David DeCastro and Ohio State tackle Mike Adams, both of whom started against in preseason action against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line is still a work in progress.
DeCastro was solid enough at right guard, particularly in the running game, but Adams was exposed repeatedly, albeit by an Eagles defensive line rotation that may be the league's best. (All due respect to the New York Giants.) The rookie tackle allowed two sacks in limited action and seemed ill-suited to protect against pro-level speed and power on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blindside.
Hopefully, Adams improves, because it's hard to determine who would replace him in the starting line if Pittsburgh is committed to keeping second-year man Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. Adams really needs to improve his strength—he was pedestrian at best in the bench press at the NFL Combine—and while NFL conditioning can go a long way, the Steelers need Adams to be ready now.
Adams also tweaked his knee and had to leave the game, so Thursday really wasn't his night.