Steelers Depot notes that if the Steelers' tentative plans to start 2012 first- and second-round draft picks David DeCastro and Mike Adams come to pass, it would mean that the team would be doing something it hadn't done since "at least 1978."
↵↵↵This would be the first time that this feat has occurred since at least 1978, and there is a good chance that it dates even further back than that. I have only been able to pull the Steelers week one starting offensive lines dating back to 1979, so that covers the last 33 seasons. Dating back to 1979, only four rookie offensive linemen have cracked the week one starting lineup for the Steelers and they were: Tom Ricketts at left guard (1989), Marvel Smith at right tackle (2000) and Maurkice Pouncey at center (2010). That leaves two positions on the offensive line that the Steelers have not had rookies start at since at least at least 1978, and both of those positions are left tackle and right guard, the positions that Adams and DeCastro aim to start at respectively.
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As Steelers Depot notes, there really isn't much doubt that DeCastro will start from day one. The question is whether Adams will. That the Steelers are considering starting both -- in addition to second-year man Marcus Gilbert -- shows both how highly they think of DeCastro and Adams and what a problem their offensive line depth had become.