When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Troy Fautanu in the first round of this year’s draft, it was unclear what his role would be in his first season with the team. Although he was an excellent player coming out of college, the Steelers’ tackle situation is in an odd spot. Broderick Jones was just drafted in the first round last year and became the team’s starting right tackle, although he was a left tackle coming out of college. Meanwhile, Dan Moore Jr. has maintained his hold on the starting left tackle job. Now, it’s becoming clearer what Fautanu’s role could be to start the season.
In a video on Twitter from Aaron Becker of Yardbarker, Fautanu was asked about seeing more time at right tackle for the first-team offense today.
“Coach Isaac [Williams] and Coach Pat [Meyer] told me, Dan, and Broderick before practice today that I was gonna be running with the 1s today at right tackle,” Fautanu said. “For me, it’s just an opportunity. Nothing is set in stone. It’s just an opportunity to play big-boy football. Going against the best now is only gonna prepare me for whatever comes in the future.”
Williams and Meyer are the assistant offensive line coach and head offensive line coach respectively. It seems like they’ve liked what they’ve seen from Fautanu and want to see more of him against better competition. He’s played well against T.J. Watt in camp, and it seems those reps have caught the eyes of the coaches.
However, Fautanu lining up at right tackle did not send Moore to the bench. Instead, it was Jones who did not run with the starters, a surprise considering his pedigree, but it seems the team is still going to make him work to unseat Moore as the starter. Like Fautanu said though, nothing is set in stone, and Jones could go back to working with the starters during the next practice.
It sounds Fautanu just looked at those starting reps as an opportunity to practice against the Steelers’ elite edge rushers more. In another video from Becker, he talks about just what those players bring to the table that makes them so special.
“You have the best in the game in T.J. [Watt], his game speaks for itself. Nick Herbig, he’s a speed demon off the edge,” Fautanu said. “Adjusting to that was a struggle for me at the beginning, but now, me and him, I really feel like we’re battling. It’s iron sharpening iron. He’s telling me what I need to fix and I’m giving him what I’m trying to attack versus his game.”
Watt has been complimentary of Fautanu in camp, and even though it’s only practice, that still means something. Watt is arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. When he says something, it matters. There aren’t many players Fautanu will face who are going to be better than Watt.
Herbig has also started to come into his own after flashing as a rookie. It sounds like he and Fautanu are developing a bond going against each other in practice, and that should be music to fan’s ears. The better Fautanu gets, the harder Herbig will work, and vice versa. Mike Tomlin loves when iron sharpens iron, so if Herbig and Fautanu continue on that track, they should enjoy success as Steelers.
The Steelers’ first preseason game is coming up in a few days, and that will be a huge test for Fautanu. It will also be interesting to see if he starts in that game, and if so, how the tackle situation plays out for the rest of the game. Either way, it sounds like Fautanu is beginning to work his way up the ladder in the eyes of the coaches. If he continues to receive more first-team reps, it could be an indication that he’s solidified the starting right tackle job.
