They’ve been teammates for just a month and have shared the practice field together for just three days of Organized Team Activities so far, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is already impressing second-year offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
Following the first day of OTAs last week at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Jones stated to reporters that Fautanu is reminding him of a younger version of himself, and is really impressed with the work ethic, mentality and overall preparation from the Washington product so early in his career.
“I really don’t have words for him. Just seeing his talent. He reminds me so much of a younger version of me,” Jones said of Fautanu, according to Steelers.com’s Mike Prisuta. “Coming in last year, just being so raw. Not knowing a lot of things. Just seeing how he prepares. He comes in with the mindset of he’s going to get better every day. He asks questions. He asks for help if he needs something, like, How did this set look, how would I approach this block.’
“Just the way he thinks is on another level because he’s trying to get ready to play. They didn’t draft him in the first round for no reason, you know. He’s taking full advantage of all the opportunities that they have in front of him. I feel like he’ll be a good player.”
The talent is something that jumps out right away about Fautanu, which made him one of the best offensive line prospects in the entire 2024 NFL Draft. The Steelers were fortunate to land him at No. 20 overall in a deep, talented offensive line class, and now his new teammates like Jones are seeing why.
Where Fautanu plays in 2024 and beyond remains to be seen. The Steelers are getting him work at right tackle early on, placing him at right tackle in rookie minicamp and then keeping him there during the first OTA sessions.
Curiously though, Jones continues to work at right tackle as well. But the belief is that Jones will be the starting left tackle and Fautanu will be the starting right tackle at some point in 2024, hopefully soon rather than later.
Right now though, Fautanu is just focused on getting better each and every day, which has caught the attention of Jones and earned him some praise from his new teammate.
As Jones stated, the Steelers didn’t draft Fautanu in the first round for no reason. Though it’s still just football in shorts, Fautanu is off to a strong start in the Black and Gold, showing off his work ethic and preparation, along with the desire to be great.
That has Jones believing Fautanu will be a good player for the Steelers. Many share that belief as well.
