The Pittsburgh Steelers have really struggled up front offensively in recent years, but that's all about to change in 2024. The Steelers had a solid draft this offseason by addressing their offensive line once again and snagging Troy Fautanu off the board early with their 20th overall pick. Fautanu, coming out of Washington, was a die-hard Steelers fan growing up, and is now living in his wildest dreams. The big man comes into the Steel City looking to turn their offense around, and during training camp on Saturday, Fautanu stated how confident he is in his group.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu during his first day of training camp in 2024.
The Steelers and their offense are undergoing a reset mode with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith rebuilding their playbook. Smith's previous game-plans relied heavily on the offensive line and it's physicality. Pittsburgh plans to run the football a whole lot with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, who both are expected to have big seasons in 2024.
Leading the way for the lightning and thunder duo will have to be Fautanu and the rest of the offensive line. With previous rookies, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the staff was patient with throwing rookies into the starting lineup. That case may have to change this year, because the Steelers front is going to need guys like Fautanu and Zach Frazier in order to see improvements from the last few seasons.
On Saturday, Fautanu emphasized a strong message for the rest of the NFL. He believes his group should be feared.
Another Troy Fautanu quote: "We want to be the most physical offensive line [in the NFL]. We want people to watch our film and be afraid of us."
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) July 27, 2024
The Steelers haven't had an offensive line that instilled fear into defenses since the Maurkice Pouncey. Since Pouncey and the others retired or left Pittsburgh, the Steelers have had one of the worst fronts in the NFL. A big part of why their offense has been so disappointing is because of that.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' rookie offensive linemen Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier work out with the team.
It'll be interesting to see how long Tomlin waits to officially put Fautanu into the starting lineup. Last season, the starting tackles were eventually Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones, who was also a Steelers first round pick. Most are waiting for the time to come when Jones can slide over to the left tackle spot so Fautanu can come in at right tackle.
Fautanu has big things ahead of him if he continues to do the right things and work hard. The Steelers' front office seemed very pleased when they were able to land him in the draft, and they've had nothing but good things to say about him at this point into camp. Fautanu will be a huge reason why this Steelers offense looks and feels a whole lot more different than the past three seasons.
Steelers' Running Backs Will Break Out With Physical Offensive Line
Harris is coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder, as the team decided to decline his fifth-year option worth $6.79 million. Harris is now a three time one thousand yard rusher for the Steelers, yet his future with them remains uncertain. The Steelers revealed that they wanted to see how Harris responds and produces in their new offense with Smith before giving him any long term deal. Considering the numbers Harris has put up to this point behind the blockers he's had, Steeler Nation should expect a big year out of 22.
Steelers.com
Steelers' running back Najee Harris runs with the football against the Cincinnati Bengals during a home game in Pittsburgh.
If the offensive line improves drastically as it should, the Steelers have a chance to compete in the AFC with a better offense. Smith's plan offensively seems to have all of the players on board, and they will continue to build their goal of a physical line in training camp.
What do you think of Fautanu's statement on making teams afraid of them? Let us know in the comments below.
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