The Pittsburgh Steelers invested three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft on the offensive line. It started with the team picking Washington OT Troy Fautanu 20th overall. That pick came a year after the Steelers traded up to pick OT Broderick Jones 14th overall. So who starts at left tackle and who starts on the right side?
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger thinks that everything is set up for Fautanu to start his career at left tackle. He joined the Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan Tuesday morning to talk about the Steelers’ draft class. He was asked about which tackle should play which position and offered his thoughts on Fautanu’s versatility.
“I think that’s what I would do,” Baldinger responded when asked about Fautanu playing left tackle and Jones playing right tackle. “A lot of people though, I know some teams thought Fautanu could be a Pro Bowl guard. But I think the Steelers are in pretty good shape there right now. But if they wanted to play him at guard, he could be like Zack Martin or Quenton Nelson. Go from tackle to guard, probably be a Pro Bowl player there. Some people think he’s a little too short to play left tackle. I don’t think he [is]. I think his feet and his punch and his hands and his arms make everything will be just fine out there. So they have that ability to keep Broderick on the right side and keep Troy over there on the left side. And I think that’s probably how it will start.”
There were plenty of people pre-draft talking up Fautanu’s ability to play all along the offensive line. However, the Steelers have only talked about him playing offensive tackle. While he is on the short side at 6-3, his arms are plenty long at 34 1/2 inches. He won’t have a problem with defenders getting into his chest because of his arm length.
As for which tackle spot Fautanu will play, the Steelers do have a bit of a conundrum. Fautanu played left tackle for Washington, so he has the footwork and muscle memory for the position. However, general manager Omar Khan has talked about the Steelers’ desire to move Jones back to his natural left tackle position in the long run.
So do the Steelers move Jones back to left tackle after he played more than half of the 2023 season at right tackle? That would mean Fautanu would also need to relearn his footwork and techniques. I’m not sure having your first-round picks doing that in back-to-back years would be the greatest idea.
Would it have been easier for the Steelers to simply draft a right tackle? Sure, it would make this situation a lot cleaner. However, Fautanu is an elite prospect who almost nobody thought would be available at 20. Draft elite players and figure out the particulars later. That’s probably the best approach when making a first-round pick.
It will be fascinating to see how the Steelers approach the question of who is playing which tackle position once training camp comes around. We also saw last year that Jones wasn’t a starter until almost halfway through the season. Could the Steelers simply keep starting Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle? It’s certainly possible. Training camp and preseason should help provide answers, but it’s all speculation until then.
And for the record, Fautanu sees himself as a tackle. While he is open to playing wherever needed, he views himself as an offensive tackle first and foremost.
