James Daniels was Kevin Colbert's most significant move of the 2022 free agency period to address the Steelers' offense line. The fifth-year interior offensive lineman brings several positive elements to his game through his technique, footwork, and ability to win leverage at the point of attack. As a former second round pick by the Bears in the 2018 NFL Draft, Daniels became an important versatile piece on Chicago's offensive line over his four years with the team.
Mike Tomlin's been known to like his versatile linemen who can help fill multiple holes on a depth chart, but Daniels needs to be much more than a B.J. Finney or a Doug Legursky. The Steelers must see Daniels put together the several skills he displayed while with the Bears and become a game changer at the line of scrimmage who helps change the tone of the team's offensive line from their uninspiring performance in 2021.
Between Daniels, Kendrick Green, Kevin Dotson, Mason Cole and J.C. Hassenhauer, and potentially another addition in the NFL Draft, the Steelers will have an interesting group to watch battle it out in training camp. But Daniels is the one standout who's been a strong player with years of experience, and at all three interior positions.
According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels has played 1,689 snaps at left guard, 1,124 at right guard, and 508 snaps at center. He spent his final year with the Bears working exclusively at right guard, where we'll focus on for film study to show what he brings to the table for the Steelers. Even though Tomlin has made it clear Green could be moved to guard, assuming that he would return to center with Dotson at left guard and Daniels at right guard would provide more stability with a younger, more athletic veteran on the offensive line than Trai Turner, while still bringing experience.
But above all else, the Steelers need a butt-kicker on the offensive line. Daniels fits that mold, maybe not as a true mauler, but as a player who knows how to use his 6-foot-4, 295 lbs. frame to control opponents at the point of attack. As No. 68, you can see in this play against the Bengals as he got his hands on the Bengals' defensive tackle Josh Tepou, also No. 68, and controlled him throughout the play. He kept his hands inside of Tepou's frame, but held on just a bit too long at the end of the play to draw the holding penalty:
Daniels did what was right for most of that play, but drew the flag when Tepou tried to reach outside of his frame while Daniels was burying him.
Last season was Daniels' most penalized of his career, being flagged nine times in 2021, more than his three previous seasons combined (eight). Tomlin will want that cleaned back up, but the intensity you saw from Daniels is what is important, as is how strong and deliberate he was with his hands and footwork. One thing that's consistent about Daniels' tape is that he works very hard to get his hands up into the frame of his opponent to establish leverage, and he follows with short, choppy footwork so that he remains balanced as his opponent tries to counter.
Daniels also demonstrates proficiency at accelerating to the next level of the defense and getting on linebackers with solid blocks when defensive tackles aren't able to get a hand on him. This was a consistent problem for both Turner and Green in 2021 for the Steelers, as even when they would get to linebackers, they would miss with their hand placement or get outmaneuvered altogether.
But watch how Daniels did it here against the Raiders. Notice as the play drifts to the left, he gets off the ball clean, frames up his man and initiates contact with his hands while sealing his man away from David Montgomery for the run:
That may seem like a routine play, because it is, but it's those kind of routine plays from offensive linemen that the Steelers have been missing. Daniels brings that element of consistency to his game, especially in the run game.
What may be the biggest challenge for Daniels in his time with the Steelers could depend on how well the players develop around him. He has the highest pedigree of the players on the interior offensive line, but that may also mean he needs to set the tone, physically and as the guy who picks up everyone around him. The Steelers hoped that would be David DeCastro going into last year, but that didn't work out and it forced them to sign Turner in hope for a veteran answer.
Daniels is 24, which means he still has plenty of time to grow. But his four years of playing experience could give him the best opportunity to be a young leader for a young offensive line full of lesser experienced players who want to build their resumes. But that also means that Daniels will have to be a player who knows which of his teammates to look after on different plays. That didn't happen on this sack that wasn't entirely on him, but you can see him favor going after the Bengals' edge rusher when their defensive tackle D.J. Reader, plowed right past the Bears' center, Sam Mustipher. The result was Andy Dalton getting sacked and Daniels helping the wrong man, when if he stayed home on his inside gap, the pocket at least lasts longer:
But those reps are also few and far between.
Throughout Daniels' 2,074 plays in pass protection, Pro Football Focus only has him attributed with allowing four sacks, 14 quarterback hits and 89 pressures. That's a pretty good record of success at keeping his quarterback clean. What helps him out the most is his proper technique and usage of his large frame to make it difficult for defenders to pull off different pass rush techniques.
Going over different examples in his tape can show this, but I chose him going up against the biggest and baddest of them all in Aaron Donald from last season. Granted this isn't a pass protection rep as it's a run play, but you get a great look at the fundamentals in Daniels' play with how he counters Donald's attempts to beat him around either of his shoulders.
Notice how quickly off the ball Daniels got out of his stance and established a wide base with his inside hand already on Donald. He's not looking to try to dominate Donald, but just occupy him to keep him away from the play. Donald tried to work to Daniels' outside shoulder, but this play shows you a glimpse of how quick and choppy Daniels' feet move when he's working to maintain leverage in pass protection, as he never charged Donald and just tried to maintain his ground:
That's a play when he's away from the ball, but it's an example of how when Donald tried his outside shoulder and then worked back to his inside shoulder, Daniels was ready for both with that wide base, quick feet, and active hands.
But when Daniels puts all those skills into attack mode for the run game, he's truly dangerous and one of the NFL's better zone run blockers. Here's an example of that working for the Bears in that same game, when Daniels was lined up one-on-one against Donald, with the running back coming right behind him.
Much of this play rested on Daniels being able to beat the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year at the point of attack, but he did it. Notice how, again, Daniels gets out of his stance quickly to get his hands on Donald's chest to wrestle for control. Donald is a powerful force who moved between the inside and outside gaps, but Daniels never ceded control and kept his feet chopping so that he could maintain that leverage for the entire play, ultimately sealing Donald to the inside to create the running lane for the play to work:
It's plays like that where you see Daniels' value shine the brightest. His combination of strength, size and fundamentals win important reps and make him a reliable lineman to run behind.
The Steelers need that presence now, more than ever, as the run game will have to become the priority with Najee Harris while Mitch Trubisky adjusts to his new offense and Matt Canada. But if his experience, technique and fundamentals can help establish a new identity for the Steelers' young offensive line to follow, it could be the change of tone needed for the next era of the Steelers' offense.
