There were a handful of offensive tackles selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was billed as one of the best tackle classes in recent history, and eight were taken over the first round and 12 over the first two rounds. Of all the tackles taken, Brian Baldinger is predicting that the Steelers’ first-round pick—OT Troy Fautanu—will make the All-Rookie team at the end of the season.
“I’m a big fan of Troy Fautanu,” Baldinger said in a clip from NFL Network’s The Insiders on Tuesday evening. “He’s gonna be the right tackle opposite Broderick Jones. You look at what they have in Arthur Smith as an offensive coordinator coming in. He’s gonna want to run the ball. The Steelers showed you last year, especially with Jaylen Warren, that they’re gonna be able to run it.
“I thought he was as good a run-blocking offensive tackle as there was in all of college football last year. And he’s gonna get that chance right away in Pittsburgh, in the Black and Gold, to be able to put those skills on notice. Those are the kind of things that I’m gonna notice. His ability to move big bodies with his big body.”
Going back to Fautanu’s college tape, he showed the requisite demeanor to be an impact blocker in the run game. He looks to finish his blocks with a pancake and is able to create displacement at the line of scrimmage. He is also great at moving out in space, which will be particularly helpful in Arthur Smith’s wide-zone offense.
RB Najee Harris averaged just 1.6 yards before contact last season, which was the 99th least in the league, while having the second-most broken tackles with 30. If Harris can get a little more breathing room behind the line of scrimmage, those broken tackles can happen at the second level rather than behind the line of scrimmage and create bigger and more frequent successful runs.
Just look at the impact Broderick Jones had when inserted as the starting right-tackle in Week 9. The Steelers went from one of the worst rushing teams to the third best over the second half of the season. If Fautanu—and C Zach Frazier for that matter—can step in and have the same type of impact as rookies, then the Steelers should be rolling people on the ground.
There were five offensive tackles taken before Fautanu in the draft. If he can make the All-Rookie list this season, it will further affirm that he should have never fallen to pick No. 20, where the Steelers waited patiently to select him.
