Is moving Troy Fautanu to right tackle the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Plan A?
Many believed that the Steelers hoped to land a right tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft, and perhaps they did. The thinking is they wanted to move Broderick Jones to left tackle, which is why they drafted him. But first-round pick Troy Fautanu is also a left tackle, even if, like Jones, he practiced on both sides.
Jones managed to transition and hold up at right tackle last season, and one would think that Fautanu can do the same. Plenty of college left tackles move to the right side, though usually for different reasons. For Fautanu, the only reason he may not play left tackle is because they already have one.
The rookie reportedly spent all or nearly all of the first day of rookie minicamp lining up at right tackle. I hasten to add a warning that we should exercise caution at this time of year. The Steelers will do many things over the next several months that end up having little significance. Some may involve Fautanu.
Of course the Steelers want to find out what Troy Fautanu looks like at right tackle. Over time, they’ll also want to see what he looks like at left tackle as well. They already more or less know what Broderick Jones looks like at both sides.
What they’re looking for is the best combination of Jones and Fautanu, both for now and for the long term. Ideally, those two things are one and the same, but where does Fautanu land? We’re probably going to need more than one rookie minicamp closed practice to ascertain that, unfortunately.
I do wonder how eager the Steelers are to get him into the starting lineup right away. Would they consider starting him at left tackle just because it makes it easier for him, having familiarity playing there? If the alternative is leaving Jones at right tackle and being stuck with Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, they very will may make that call.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
