The Pittsburgh Steelers used their first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on versatile offensive lineman Troy Fautanu. And now, he is expected to start right away.
Fautanu was a key cog along the offensive line at Washington that helped protect quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and lead the team to a Pac-12 championship and a spot in the National Championship Game. He was a fixture on the left side of the line for the Huskies. He is now taking his talents to the other side, at least for now.
Fautanu, the No. 20 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been working at right tackle during his first NFL offseason. According to ESPN’s Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor, Fautanu has said he expects to compete for the starting spot at right tackle during training camp this summer. 2021 fourth-round pick Dan Moore Jr. is likely to be Fautanu’s main competition to be a bookend with 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, who is expected to move over to left tackle, where he was drafted to eventually play.
Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies offensive lineman Troy Fautanu (55) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s what Pryor wrote about Fautanu, including a quote from Steelers’ offensive line coach Pat Meyer:
“Although he primarily played left tackle at Washington, Fautanu spent most of his time working at right during the offseason program, and he said he expects to compete at right tackle when the team reports to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for training camp next month. ‘Troy’s learned a lot of the different techniques very quickly,’ offensive line coach Pat Meyer said. ‘The first couple days his timing was off because the speed of the game is different — now we don’t have any pads on yet, so nothing’s going to be determined until we get into camp — but his timing’s much better in terms of his get-off and run game and his sets and throwing his hands and being aggressive with his hands and whatnot. He’s improved tremendously from rookie minicamp to now.'”
– ESPN’s Brooke Pryor
Fautanu’s versatility was a major selling point of his draft stock but there were also some medical concerns, causing him to slip slightly in the first round. He’ll get an early crack to start at right tackle on a line that could also have a rookie at center in second-round pick Zach Frazier out of West Virginia. Pittsburgh also drafted South Dakota State guard Mason McCormick in the fourth round.
Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/latest-news/steelers-troy-fautanu-2024-nfl-draft-competes-rt
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Publish date : 2024-06-30 08:09:43
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