The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of young guys in their offensive line room as they have invested in the unit a lot over the last couple of drafts. There will be a lot of musical chairs going on with the line throughout training camp as the coaching staff figures out ways to evaluate rookies and younger players. The only two positions that are certainly locked in are the two guard spots with Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels, while the other three spots are a little more up in the air.
Pittsburgh's first round pick in 2023, Broderick Jones, spent the majority of his rookie season as the Steelers starting right tackle. He showed improvement as the year went on and was extremely impactful in the run game. Now, after the team drafted Troy Fautanu in 2024, the long-term plan seems to be to move Jones to left tackle while Fautanu takes over on the right side. However, on Sunday, Jones took snaps with the second unit while Fautanu took some with the starters according to Chris Adamski and Joe Rutter.
This could just be the coaching staff trying to get Fautanu some extra reps going against the starting defense, where he would lineup across from TJ Watt. The concerning part is that Dan Moore Jr. stayed on the field as the left tackle with the first-string offensive line, instead of Jones taking his place. Jones could have just needed a break, as he had to take a few plays off earlier in practice.
Moore isn't comfortable playing right tackle, and he has been one of the most inconsistent tackles in the league over the last three seasons with the Steelers. The Steelers' recent moves of drafting both Jones and Fautanu show that Moore isn't in the organization's future plans. Due to Moore's inability to play on the right side and Pittsburgh's refusal to start rookies right away, the plan has seemed to be putting Jones at right tackle until Fautanu has progressed enough to start at that spot. Then, Jones would replace Moore on the left side.
The last thing fans want is another year of watching Moore at left tackle, so it's crucial that Fautanu gets up to speed on the right side. The coaches might be confident enough in Jones at left tackle, so they don't feel it's necessary to put him there whenever the rookie takes his place. For the majority of the practice Jones was the starting right tackle, so it would be an overreaction to assume that Jones is being thrust out of the starting lineup.
The Steelers put the pads on for the first time in training camp for their practice on Tuesday. That's when it will be time to start seriously evaluating what goes on in the trenches, and it will give a good glimpse into how good these young offensive linemen truly are.
Steelers Offensive Line Is Full Of Versatility
One thing Head Coach Mike Tomlin loves from his players is versatility. No other position group exemplifies that than the offensive line. Jones has proved he can play on both sides of the line, and the same goes for Fautanu. Nate Herbig can play all three spots on the interior offensive line, as he is currently the starting center while Zach Frazier gets up to speed.
Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick are also able to move around. Anderson was seventh round pick in 2023 and is on the roster bubble, while McCormick is slated to be a backup during his rookie season.
The offensive line will slowly start to take its shape on Tuesday once the full-contact days begin. Rookies will be presented with challenges, as Fautanu will need to take on Watt and Frazier will be lined up across from Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton.
