The Pittsburgh Steelers have focused on shoring up their offensive line in recent offseasons, and for the second season in a row, the team took an offensive tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft, selecting Washington OT Troy Fautanu at No. 20 overall. With Jones expected to move back to his more natural left tackle position, Fautanu could be a Day 1 starter at right tackle, and CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards ranked him the sixth-most important rookie to their team’s success this season.
“It is well-documented that Pittsburgh has never had a losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin. They will be competing for a postseason berth yet again. The trials and tribulations of a young offensive line in a run-heavy scheme will dictate the level of success they are able to achieve,” Edwards wrote. “Broderick Jones, who was a first-round choice in the 2023 NFL Draft, is expected to transition back to left tackle following the addition of Fautanu, who played left tackle for Washington.”
While Fautanu only played two snaps at right tackle for Washington, he expressed comfort with his ability to move around and said he cross-trained in college practices. He’s still competing with Dan Moore Jr. for the starting right tackle spot, but Moore has routinely struggled on the right side. It would probably classify as a mild surprise if Moore won the job.
That makes Fautanu important as the Steelers try to win with their run game and keep their quarterback upright. Having a weak link on the offensive line is never good, and while it might take Fautanu some time to get fully up to speed, he’ll need to do his job and can’t be someone who frequently struggles.
The Steelers are in a position to win now. Drafting Fautanu gave them someone who played a lot of ball in college and should be able to step in and play as a rookie. But if he struggles, it’s going to be a major detriment to the Steelers and what they’re trying to do this season, so it makes sense why he would be so high on the list.
Fautanu’s teammate at Washington and Baltimore Ravens second-round pick Roger Rosengarten ranked No. 4 on the list, and Rosengarten might have a tougher task than Fautanu, as a rookie starter but one who will face T.J. Watt twice a season. But there’s little doubt that Fautanu is going to need to step up, and the Steelers will be able to tell in just a few weeks when training camp gets going whether he can be that guy for them on Day 1. If he is and he plays well, Pittsburgh’s line could be one of the best in football.
