Steelers Might Ruin Another Young Lineman With Irresponsible Coaching

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a bad recent history when it comes to developing offensive linemen. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and offensive line coach Pat Meyer have consistently tried to play linemen out of their natural positions, and often times it hasn't worked. This was most recently seen with Kevin Dotson, who is now with the Los Angeles Rams. It is also currently being seen with Broderick Jones, who was a left tackle, but was forced to switch to right tackle once entering the NFL and joining the Steelers.

It would be one thing to play an offensive lineman out of position for a string of games if he was a late-round draft pick, just to fill in while another player was injured. However, the Steelers risk the careers of some of their top picks by playing them out of position. 

Pittsburgh actually traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to draft Jones, and then continued to play him out of position, which seems to have ruined his confidence. According to Ray Fittipaldo, the Steelers may be doing the same thing with another first-round pick in Troy Fautanu, who missed most of his rookie year with a knee injury.

"I think they really like Troy Fautanu at right tackle." Fittipaldo said. "I'm not gonna close the door on him going to guard, either, because I think he can be a really good guard. He's just a really good player. I won't rule that out, but excelled at tackle."

Fautanu only played in one game during his rookie season, as he replaced Jones in the starting lineup at right tackle. The rookie looked good, but he unfortunately suffered a season-ending knee injury later that week in practice. He will become a fixture of the offense during the 2025 season, and he will absolutely be playing tackle barring something unforeseen.

Pittsburgh's starting left tackle for the last several seasons, Dan Moore Jr., is expected to leave the organization in free agency during the 2025 offseason. This opens things up for Jones to return to his natural position at left tackle, while Fautanu takes over as the starting right tackle. 

There was some chatter during the pre-draft process that Fautanu would be better suited as a guard in the NFL. The young player made it clear that he wanted to play tackle, and that's how the Steelers view him, for now. If the organization decides to select another tackle through the draft, then that would possibly open the door for the coaching staff to move Fautanu to the interior offensive line.

This would be coaching malpractice from the Steelers if it were to come to fruition. This would mark the second consecutive first-round pick that the Steelers have decided to play out of position, which is absolutely ridiculous. It is not something good teams do, yet the Steelers continue to make the same ridiculous mistakes. Fautanu moving to guard shouldn't even be a thought.

Steelers Continue To Be Proved Wrong By Dotson

Ahead of the 2023 season, the Steelers decided to trade Dotson away to the Rams. Dotson had primarily played left guard for the Steelers, and he did struggle at times. This is understandable considering he played right guard in college and that was his natural position. Some fans believe it is easy to just switch sides on the offensive line, but that is not the case. Especially not in the NFL. 

Dotson has since excelled in Los Angeles. He signed a new, three-year, $48 million contract with the Rams after the 2023 season. He has been playing right guard for them, and even received some All-Pro votes for his performance in 2024. This directly proves that what the Steelers have been doing is coaching malpractice, and it is a big reason that many fans have been calling for the firing of Meyer.

What do you think of moving Fautanu to guard? Let us know in the comments below!

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