Around ten years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers were renowned for consistently having one of the toughest and most talented offensive lines in the entire league. After a mass exodus of linemen a few years ago, this unit has unfortunately taken a substantial dive in quality and now, this offense that was once known for running the ball down your throat simply can’t get first downs on the ground. For an organization that is loaded with pride in both the front office and the fan base, something simply had to change.
Pittsburgh Steelers Make Waves By Selecting ‘Nation’s Best Offensive Lineman’ in 2024 NFL Draft
The Steelers made headlines on Thursday night when they made the decision to draft outstanding University of Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu. Fautanu has been outstanding for the Huskies as he was a stone wall protecting the left side for Washington and was named a third-team AP All-American. He was also first-team All-Pac-12 and won the Joe Moore Award. The Joe Moore Award is given to the best collegiate offensive lineman in the nation.
Fautanu has been described as a street fighter in the offensive tackle position. He has terrific nastiness on the offensive line and isn’t afraid to fight with defenders on the inside. He has outstanding raw athleticism and has arguably the highest upside at the NFL level with his raw talent. Even with how technically proficient he is, he has a tendency to have his technique break down when he fails to land the first punch and can fall off of blocks.
Fautanu’s highlights during his 2023 season at Washington can be seen below. It is pretty obvious that Fautanu’s physicality is going to be fun to watch at the NFL level.
Pittsburgh is in desperate need of help on the offensive line after bringing in Russell Wilson to improve their offense this past offseason. This team brought in offensive tackle Broderick Jones last season to be a long-time starter and with Fautanu, this offense is going to be tough and gritty next season. Running back Najee Harris has struggled to get this group going over the past few seasons and they finally have the front to bring back the smashmouth offense that brought this franchise so many Super Bowls in recent memory.
Pittsburgh has been in desperate need of some toughness on the offensive side of the ball for the past few years and Fautanu is a huge boost to this offense. Russell Wilson is going to be much better pushing the ball down the field with an improved running game this offseason and the Steelers may finally be a fun team to watch this upcoming season.
Follow me on Twitter at @Super_Squatch76. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here! If there is a topic you’d like me to cover or a question you’d like to ask, feel free to contact me at my email timothy.mcbride76@gmail.com.