With 2024 first-round choose Troy Fautanu coming again, the Steelers, roughly, have their offensive line for subsequent season. However how lengthy will that line keep collectively, particularly with Isaac Seumalo on the unsuitable facet of 30? What’s the long-term plan—and the place do the entire elements greatest match?
Lengthy earlier than the Steelers drafted Fautanu, many seen him as probably greatest becoming at guard within the NFL. Whereas he believes the Steelers like him the place they’ve him, on the correct at deal with, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette nonetheless sees the chance he might find yourself inside sooner or later.
“I feel they actually like Troy Fautanu at proper deal with”, he stated of the Steelers’ teaching employees. “I’m not gonna shut the door on him going to protect, both, as a result of I feel he could be a actually good guard. He’s only a actually good participant”.
When the Steelers drafted Troy Fautanu, they introduced him as a deal with. Through the pre-draft course of, he stated he believes he’s a deal with. After all, he wouldn’t be the primary faculty participant who doesn’t need to swap positions. Loads of faculty tackles, even large ones like Daniel Faalele, transfer to protect.
Nonetheless, there’s in the end no motive right now to suppose the Steelers are contemplating that in any respect. They rushed him into the beginning lineup at proper deal with final 12 months regardless of lacking essential time as a consequence of damage. And with Dan Moore Jr. set to go away in free company, it’s not like they will afford Fautanu to not play deal with.
And what if Broderick Jones falters? He’s not precisely a positive factor at this level in his profession—in fact, neither is Fautanu. However I do suppose the Steelers internally acknowledge his athletic capabilities. In truth, there was some chatter about guard final 12 months.
Seumalo suffered an damage within the lead-up to the beginning of the 2024 season. Fittipaldo’s colleague, Gerry Dulac, stated he believes the Steelers would have moved Troy Fautanu to protect if the damage had been extra severe.
For years, Steelers followers urged they transfer Willie Colon from deal with to protect. After repeated claims on the contrary, they finally did transfer him inside, and he dealt with it effectively. I don’t doubt if Fautanu have been to play guard, he might do it simply in addition to deal with.
However that is all a dialog for down the road. Until the Steelers re-sign Moore or draft a first-round deal with, there’s zero likelihood of Troy Fautanu taking part in guard this 12 months. Possibly the long run, a few years from now, reveals one thing completely different, however he’s working at proper deal with now. “I gained’t rule that out, however he excelled at deal with”, Fittipaldo stated.