Steelers' Top Rookie Proved Fans Should Be Concerned About His Development In Preseason Opener

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their preseason with a game against the Houston Texans on Friday night. Despite what has seemed to be a strong training camp up until this point, Mike Tomlin's team showed that it has a lot of kinks to workout before the regular season rolls around. Things were sloppy on offense, and special teams was a disaster. A more concerning sight for fans was Pittsburgh's first-round pick, Troy Fautanu, struggling mightily in pass protection.

Pittsburgh has high hopes for its first-round selection, as he is expected to start early on in his rookie season. He is currently battling for the right tackle spot, and he didn't help his case much on Friday night as he let defenders get to Justin Fields on two occasions. Steelers insider for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shared which players stocks are rising and falling after the game, and he tabbed Fautanu as someone who needs to improve.

"If No. 1 pick Troy Fautanu has designs on winning a starting job, he has some work to do in pass protection. Fautanu gave up two sacks in the first quarter, both on third downs, and both forced the Steelers to punt. The first came against Danielle Hunter, one of the best edge rushers in the game who had 16½ sacks last season for the Vikings. The second came against veteran Jerry Hughes, who has 70 career sacks. Hunter went around Fautanu to get to Justin Fields, and Hughes went through him. There is still plenty of time for Fautanu to win over the coaches, but he’s not off to a good start."

Fautanu was mostly matching up against pass-rushers who have a lot of experience in the NFL, and have produced a ton throughout their careers. Danielle Hunter is one of the best in the league, and he wasn't far behind TJ Watt on the sacks leaderboard in 2023. Jerry Hughes doesn't have as much star power, but is a reliable veteran when it comes to rushing the passer.

It's important not to overreact to anything that happens in exhibition games, especially the first preseason game of the year. This was Fautanu's first time on an NFL field, and there will be a learning curve as he gets his career underway. During his final college season in 2023, he played left tackle, so that is another change to take into consideration while acknowledging his struggles.

Struggling against two productive pass-rushers isn't expected from Fautanu, but it is understandable. It is more concerning that he was seen after the game in a knee brace. He didn't go down on the field, and the rookie seemed to play through whatever happened to his knee mid-game. It is considered a minor injury.

The injury could put a serious damper on Fautanu's chances to earn the starting right tackle job ahead of Week 1. He may miss a few practices, and could even be held out of the Steelers' next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.

Steelers Saw Other Rookies Impress In Preseason Matchup

It wasn't all dark spots for the Steelers rookie class on Friday. Linebacker Payton Wilson played well, as he looked physical and had a nose for the football in his debut. He led the Steelers in tackles during the game, and also recorded a tackle for loss on his first snap. He looks poised to be a strong contributor for Pittsburgh's defense, and the third rounder may even insert himself into Defensive Rookie Of The Year conversations.

Second-pick Zach Frazier also played well at center. He came in on the team's third possession of the game, and was praised by Fields for how he was able to snap the ball. Current starter, Nate Herbig, struggled as he was a part of two botched snaps which were both drive killers for the Steelers. 

What do you think of Fautanu's play so far? Let us know in the comments below!

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