Another beginning to a new era for the Steelers offensive line.
Surprise! Reports indicate that Pittsburgh Steelers fans may be in store for a peek at their offensive line of the future in Week 2’s showdown against the Denver Broncos. Rookie Troy Fauntanu could potentially make his first NFL start, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports.
Fautanu got work with the first-team offense in practices on both Wednesday and Thursday, returning healthy just last week from a knee injury (MCL) suffered during the preseason. Earning a spot in the start lineup would certainly be a testament to the ability he’s shown with the team to this point, given the team’s typical hesitancy of throwing rookies into the fire early on. Based on reports from early August, Fautanu would presumably be starting at right tackle.
What happens with the rest of the offensive line is still a mystery, as both second-year OT Broderick Jones and veteran Dan Moore Jr. are left vying for the final tackle spot. On one hand, Moore played well in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, earning the third-highest PFF pass-blocking grade among all offensive linemen. After an abysmal 2023 campaign where he allowed 45 total pressures, he didn’t allow a single pressure in Week 1 on nine opportunities in true pass sets.
On the other hand, the Steelers drafted Jones with the 14th overall pick in 2023, and he never got a true shake at playing his true position — left tackle. As a rookie, Jones was shuffled to the right side of the offensive line after the benching of then-teammate Chukwuma Okorafor with mixed results.
Though Jones hasn’t shown the linear development you may have hoped for or expected from a first-round draft selection, it’s worth wondering whether or not the positional changes have at all affected his progress heading into his second season.
Jones notably struggled in the 2024 preseason in comparison to Moore’s more recent success, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Moore get the start at left tackle, all things considered. With Fautanu at right tackle and Zach Frazier at center and Spencer Anderson at left guard (subbing in for the currently injured Isaac Seumalo), adding Jones into the mix would mean four of five offensive linemen would be either rookies or second-year players.
Given the Steelers’ appreciation for what veterans bring to the table in terms of stability and leadership, Moore seems probable to get the start… which means second-year Jones could make his way to the bench.