Steelers rookie must ‘make strides’ to earn starting gig
First-round draft picks typically are Week 1 starters, especially in the trenches. But that isn’t a given for Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tackle Troy Fautanu.
Experience could trump talent in Fautanu’s offseason competition with fourth-year veteran Dan Moore Jr.
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly named Fauanu among the “losers” of Pittsburgh’s offseason to date:
This certainly doesn’t mean Fautanu will be a bust or never be a star. But he makes the list because Moore is ahead of him on the depth chart, which is not his fault but the reality of the situation. Sure, that can change quickly in Latrobe, but the limited amount of time Fautanu has to get acclimated to the NFL — coupled with how the organization approached the Broderick Jones/Moore battle last year — makes you wonder. Fautanu is smart and talented, and that comes through immediately, but he must make strides to win a starting job.
A story to watch is at what spot will the Steelers stick Broderick Jones for reps to start training camp next month? Both he and Moore perform better on the left. Jones got the call when an MCL injury sidelined Moore for 1.5 games.
Moore got his starting job back in Week 7 with Jones reverting to the bench, only to take over at right tackle after Chuks Okorafor’s verbal slip got him benched. Though Jones did improve as the season went on, playing on his unnatural side threw a slight learning curve where he shined in Moore’s brief absence.
Jones is now one year older and one year wiser in the NFL system. Should the initial official depth chart have Jones on the right and Moore on the left, Fautanu may have to wait patiently for his time to come.
