The Pittsburgh Steelers waited too long to address what was a suspect offensive line room, but this front office did end up using back-to-back first-round picks on offensive tackles by selecting Georgia's Broderick Jones in 2023 and following that up with Washington's Troy Fautanu in 2024.
To say their careers in the NFL haven't started off hot is the understatement of the year, as Jones has been very up and down on the field while a knee injury wiped out almost the entirety of Fautanu's rookie season. With both of them healthy and motivated to improve, the Steelers are wasting no time throwing them into the fire.
Jones appears to be settling into a role as the left tackle, while Fautanu will switch over to right tackle in 2025. After Jones was moved around the offensive line quite frequently during the early stages of his pro career, it seems like Pittsburgh is trying to lock him into a set spot.
If both these players are as good as they are advertised to be, the Steelers may have both of their tackle spots taken care of for the foreseeable future. However, Mike Tomlin might be taking a bit of a risk by putting these two youngsters in a position like this.
Pittsburgh Steelers putting Broderick Jones at left tackle, Troy Fautanu at right tackle
Jones started off his career in Pittsburgh with some alarmingly poor production, but he has since managed to somewhat stabilize things and look respectable. With either Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph likely to be the Week 1 starter, the Steelers need a trustworthy left tackle.
Fautanu had very few, if any, faults as a pass protector when examining his film at Washington. It makes sense to assume that someone with as high a floor as his could make a Penei Sewell-like leap over to the right side and thrive there. However, there are some flaws to this arrangement that the Steelers must consider.
Right tackle has a completely different set of footwork and timing when compared to left tackle, which could complicate things for a player who is not very far removed from a serious injury. Jones is also far from a Hall of Fame pass protector at this point.
The Steelers are taking a risk with this lineup, but the potential they could unearth if Fautanu can replicate his college tape could set them apart in a crowded AFC.