Along with the draft picks that the Pittsburgh Steelers just made a couple weeks ago, they will also be getting a pair of previous high draft picks back into the fold after injuries in their rookie season. None with the potential for more impact than first-round OT Troy Fautanu.
He missed part of the preseason and then briefly returned before suffering a season-ending injury. Should he be thought of as a rookie since he didn’t get to play very much? Former Steelers OL A.Q. Shipley doesn’t think so.
“I think he learned a lot, to be honest. I think there’s so much that you can learn even when you’re not playing. Especially as a rookie,” Shipley said Thursday via Kaboly + Mack on YouTube. “You’re still in meetings. The meetings are the crucial part. It starts in the meeting room. So even if he didn’t get all of the physical stuff, he got enough of the physical stuff. But the mental stuff is everything.”
A large part of being a successful NFL offensive lineman is the mental side of the game. Even before the physical attributes, which separate the average starters from the elite, the mental side of the game is a prerequisite to ever seeing the field in the NFL. We saw a lot of the mental struggles with Broderick Jones and how hot and cold his tape looked over his first two seasons as a result.
While Troy Fautanu didn’t get that many physical reps, he was able to hear all the lingo and walk through the game plans each week. When he was getting his first physical reps last year, he was trying to absorb the mental side of the game at the same time.
Trying to learn too much at once can slow down the learning curve significantly. He’s had a full year to observe and can now focus on applying it to the physical side of the game.
“I think he gained a lot, and he got some reps and the reps he got in games last year were good,” Shipley said. “I think he’s got a bright future.”
The Steelers have not invested as heavily into any unit more than their offensive line over the last few years. Five draft picks were spent in the offensive trenches between the 2023 and ’24 drafts and that includes two first-round picks and a second-round selection. If the offense hopes to take any steps forward despite losing its leading rusher, receiver and passer this offseason, the line needs to be the biggest part of that.
Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick and Isaac Seumalo should be a pretty solid interior trio. The big questions come on the outside with Fautanu and Broderick Jones.
“The mental thing that he got last year is going to be absolutely humongous for him going into his second year,” Shipley said.
Mike Tomlin said during a one-on-one interview with Steelers.com that he expects significant growth from players like Fautanu and Roman Wilson in 2025. The train keeps moving regardless of missed time. It’s their job to be as ready as they can possibly be to hop on the moving train.
Troy Fautanu was already earning the trust of the organization before the season even began. If his mental game has progressed that much, it should mean great things for him—and the offensive line—in Year 2.
