Versatility: it’s the name of the game in today’s NFL as the game of football moves closer and closer to more of an emphasis on positionless football, very similar to how basketball is played today.
The more you can do and the more positions you can play, the better.
The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly value that, especially along the offensive line, and landed a player with versatility in abundance, that being Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
For now, the Steelers are viewing Fautanu as a tackle entering the NFL. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play elsewhere such as guard or center.
His addition to the Steelers’ offensive line has The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and Nate Tice rather excited about the draft pick.
Appearing on The Athletic Football Show’s post-first round reaction show Thursday night on YouTube, Brugler and Tice spoke highly of the selection, with Brugler stating Fautanu gives the Steelers’ offensive line the flexibility to be a “chameleon offense” week to week, while Tice stated he’s a player who “won’t need help” wherever he is on the field.
“It gives them options. It gives them flexibility to be a chameleon offense where they, for the Steelers, one week you’re gonna rely on the run game. The next, you’re doing something different…And I think when you are able to add offensive linemen like this that are versatile guys that you can mix and match and just help stabilize things,” Brugler said of the Steelers’ selection of Fautanu, according to video via The Athletic on YouTube. “It’s a big part of what you want to achieve in the draft.”
Though the Steelers view Fautanu as a tackle, he has that five-position versatility that Brugler praised in the pre-draft process, even writing that he could play center at a high level if kicked inside.
Questions remain regarding his true spot in the NFL, whether that’s left or right tackle, but it doesn’t matter for the Steelers. They landed one of the top players on their board, a guy who brings a nasty, physical presence to the offensive line in the Steel City, which is something the Steelers have needed for quite awhile.
Even with the questions about the overall fit, Tice made it an emphasis to point out that Fautanu’s a complete offensive lineman and won’t need help from teammates around him no matter where he lines up.
“Two-way guys too, where it’s not like, yeah, this guy’s really good at pass pro guy, he’s bad run blocking, or he is a great run blocker. We have to hide him in pass pro. No, the Steelers added another guy who could play guard or tackle potentially that you don’t have to help,” Tice said of Fautanu. “He’s gonna win in the run or the pass and win those one-on-ones.”
That’s the key. Even with questions about where he lines up in the NFL, there are no real questions about his abilities overall as a run blocker and in pass protection. He’s a complete package, one who will help the Steelers play whatever style they want offensively under coordinator Arthur Smith week to week.
He’s a mauler in the run game, one who moves people off the spot and loves to bury guys in the dirt at the end of reps. In pass protection, he has great length and good feet, rarely giving up sacks in his time at Washington. That’s one heck of a piece to add to the offensive line no matter where the Steelers decide to plug and play him.
Versatility: Troy Fautanu has it. That’ll be key moving forward for Pittsburgh.
