In his first career NFL start, rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu made quite an entrance in the Mile High City.
Stepping into the starting lineup for second-year tackle Broderick Jones, Fautanu more than held his own. He played 55 snaps, allowed just two total pressures in the win and was an impactful run blocker. That is exactly what the Steelers were expecting when they landed him at No. 20 overall coming out of Washington.
A few days after the debut, Pro Football Focus continues to sing the praises of Fautanu, calling him an “asset in pass protection” as he ranks as the fifth-best rookie offensive tackle in football.
“Fautanu made his NFL debut in Week 2, and while it was a strange route to playing time, he showed why he can be an asset in pass protection for the Steelers,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman writes. “He allowed two pressures but earned a 69.3 PFF pass-blocking grade that led all Pittsburgh offensive linemen. The Steelers’ offensive tackle situation is in flux right now.
“However, Fautanu didn’t do anything this week to hurt his case for more playing time.”
Immediately following the game against the Broncos, which resulted a 13-6 win for the Steelers, Pro Football Focus named Fautanu the player of the game. Against Denver, Fautanu played 55 of 66 snaps and graded out at a 64.4 overall.
Further film review showed Fautanu allowed just those two pressures. That was rather impressive against a stout pass rusher in Denver’s Jonathon Cooper, who was coming off a two-sack, seven-pressure performance in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Credit to Fautanu for being up to the task in his first career start. He was able to get up to speed ahead of the matchup and seized the opportunity that was provided to him.
The only time Fautanu came off the field was in a rotation with Broderick Jones, who took over on the third drive of the game for the Steelers but was quickly yanked after just 11 snaps following three penalties, including two holding calls that negated positive plays for the Steelers.
Against the Broncos, Fautanu graded out at a 64.4 overall from PFF, including a 69.3 as a pass blocker and a 59.3 as a run blocker. That 64.4 overall grade was good enough for Fautanu to finish as the fifth-best rookie OT of the week, behind only the Los Angeles Chargers’ Joe Alt, New England’s Caeden Wallace, New Orleans’ Taliese Fuaga, and Tennessee’s JC Latham.
Things are looking up for Fautanu. He’s off to a strong start and looks like a real asset for the Steelers. Now, he just has to build off it.
