The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Troy Fautanu hoping he could solve their offensive tackle problems for years. Not alone, of course, but in conjunction with Broderick Jones. The Steelers took both of them in the first round, the latter in 2023. Jones started most of his rookie season, but did not take the desired second-year leap.
Unfortunately in the case of Fautanu, about anything the Steelers get out of him in 2025 will be something of a launch. He only played in one game last season due to injury, but they obviously really like him. Despite missing most of training camp and the preseason, they started him in Week 2 at right tackle after deeming him not healthy enough in Week 1.
The Steelers started Fautanu over Jones, though perhaps that says as much or more about the latter. It certainly speaks to how highly they regard Fautanu, as well. For a rookie to miss that much time and then immediately start, it shows you that the team is very high on the level of detail in his preparedness, not to mention his talent.
Troy Fautanu played left tackle throughout his college career, but the Steelers moved him to right tackle. Some draft analysts believed he would make a better guard, but the Steelers drafted him to play tackle. They could be open to moving him inside in the future, however.
While he did play some right tackle in high school, Fautanu spent most of his rookie offseason adjusting to play on the opposite side of the formation, because the Steelers wanted to move Broderick Jones to left tackle. Of course, that never happened for a variety of reasons.
Part of it was Troy Fautanu and his health, the Washington product injuring his knee in his preseason debut. That caused him to miss the rest of training camp and the preseason, and it lingered into the regular season. But he was healthy, and he started in Week 2, showing some good reps with a mixture of growing pains.
Unfortunately, that’s all the Steelers got to see from Fautanu. He went on to dislocate his kneecap, and he missed the rest of the year. Fautanu said he is planning to practice at right tackle this offseason, unless the coaches tell him otherwise. He is on track to be able to participate in OTAs, at least in a limited capacity.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming up on the 2025 NFL Draft, which means it’s time to review last year’s class. The second under new general manager Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl, their class once again garnered favorable reviews. Of the seven players they drafted, notably, all of them remain with the team. Additionally, three or four are starters, with the potential for even a fifth.
The offensive line marked the nucleus of last year’s class. Three of the Steelers’ top five picks went to that unit, and all three should start this season. But each of their top five picks could have a big role this season, including third-round WR Roman Wilson.
