The Pittsburgh Steelers love to run the ball. That’s not changing under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. How they do that might change, but the emphasis on a high-quality run game is still there. So the Steelers need to have a darn good offensive line to make sure the running backs have a good start to every play. Then you also need to protect your quarterback, whether it’s Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. So the Steelers selected Washington OT Troy Fautanu with their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
Former Steelers executive Doug Whaley is a fan of Fautanu. He joined the Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan on Friday to discuss the draft and gave his thoughts on Fautanu.
“I think he’s gonna be okay,” Whaley said regarding concerns about Fautanu’s size. “And everybody’s happy because, like you said, no one thought the caliber player that Troy is was going to be able to be at the pick where the Steelers were at 20… He brings that element of aggressiveness, a guy that is what I call the J.Y.D., a junkyard dog. And that’s the element that the Steelers fan implore and want from their offensive linemen and their teams. Now, when you talk about the height, he makes up for his lack of height with his arm length. And arm length really, in my opinion, is a little more important than height.”
If the Steelers want to have a strong running game, having someone described as a “junkyard dog” on the offensive line would be a big boost. Fautanu has the athleticism to get to the second level and then turns into the junkyard dog, wreaking havoc on linebackers and defensive backs with his strength. He’s also shown an ability to completely wreck pass rushers.
There are questions about whether Fautanu’s size translates to playing offensive tackle in the NFL. After all, he’s not even 6-4. However, he does have 34 1/2-inch arms, which is just fine for a tackle. When people talk about height concerns, it’s because there’s generally a correlation between height and arm length. It’s not all that much of an issue with Fautanu, though. Everything else you need out of a tackle in terms of footwork and athleticism is there with Fautanu.
It just so happens that all that athleticism and technique is paired with aggressiveness. If that translates to the NFL, Steelers fans are going to love seeing Fautanu get highlighted on big runs and screens for the rest of his career.
