Troy Fautanu

Steelers RT Troy Fautanu To Undergo Surgery; Postseason Return In Play

September 23rd, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Over the weekend, the Steelers placed Troy Fautanu on injured reserve. That move guaranteed the first-round rookie would miss at least four games, but a subsequent report indicated a season-long absence could be in store.

Indeed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Fautanu will undergo surgery on his dislocated kneecap. He will miss the remainder of the regular season as a result, leaving Pittsburgh with a vacancy along the O-line. Rapoport adds Fautanu could be back in time for the playoffs, but this news represents a notable blow to the team’s offense.

Just as they did in 2023, the Steelers used their top pick on an offensive tackle during the first round of April’s draft. Fautanu spent time at left tackle during his Washington tenure, and some teams viewed him as a guard. Pittsburgh saw the former Huskie as a tackle, however, and rated him higher as a prospect than 2023 first-rounder Broderick Jones. It thus came as no surprise Fautanu started at right tackle during his regular season debut (Week 2).

His knee injury occurred in practice leading up to Sunday’s win, leaving Pittsburgh in need of a change up front. Jones took over at the RT spot, one in which he struggled during Week 2 with three penalties. The Georgia product is set for another long-term stint at the position due to Fautanu’s injury, though, after he primarily played on the right side during his rookie year. Pending free agent Dan Moore Jr. will remain in the startling lineup along the blindside.

Even before the Fautanu ailment, injuries along the offensive line were an issue early in the year for Pittsburgh. Center Nate Herbig‘s torn rotator cuff is expected to keep him out for most (if not all) of the campaign, thrusting second-round rookie Zach Frazier into a starting role. Guard Isaac Seumalo has yet to play this year while he rehabs a pectoral injury, leading to further inexperience along the interior.

The Steelers were among the teams which designated two players for return from IR before the roster cut deadline. That move leaves the team with six activations for the regular season, although that figure will not come into play with Fautanu out of the picture until the playoffs. Teams will receive an additional two IR activations during the postseason, so the 23-year-old could still be in the fold down the road. In the meantime, Pittsburgh could be in the market for offensive tackle depth.

Steelers Place OT Troy Fautanu On IR

September 21st, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

6:35pm: Fautanu maywell end up missing much more than a month. Dulac reports the injury is set to sideline him for most, if not all, of the season’s remainder. Fautanu had red flags coming into the draft for medical reasons, and his rookie campaign appears to already be over due to his latest ailment.

4:20pm: The Steelers have officially moved Fautanu to injured reserve, ensuring that he will miss at least the next four games because of his knee injury, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Jones will be ready to take over the starting role versus the Chargers tomorrow.

In addition to Fautanu’s placement on IR, the team is also promoting offensive lineman John Leglue and cornerback James Pierre from the practice squad. As standard gameday practice squad elevations, Leglue and Pierre will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.

9:02am: The Steelers will be without their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future. Rookie Troy Fautanu injured his knee during yesterday’s practice and is sidelined indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The lineman is set to undergo further testing, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the rookie definitely won’t be playing in Week 3. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones told reporters yesterday that his teammate suffered “a little tweak” to his knee (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).

The Steelers selected Fautanu with the 20th-overall pick in this past year’s draft. The rookie was sidelined with an MCL injury during the preseason, and he didn’t end up seeing the field for the team’s season-opener. With Jones struggling at RT, coach Mike Tomlin said the team would likely rotate tackles during Week 2.

While Fautanu garnered the start, Tomlin did initially stick to his rotational plan. However, as Pryor points out, Jones proceeded to commit three penalties in a six-play span, leading to the rookie playing out the contest. Fautanu finished the game getting into 55 offensive snaps, with the lineman earning praise from Pro Football Focus for his pass-blocking prowess.

With Fautanu now sidelined, the Steelers will likely turn back to Jones. Outside of LT Dan Moore Jr., the team’s only other healthy offensive tackle is practice squad rookie Doug Nester. For what it’s worth, Jones recognized his struggles through the first two weeks, and Tomlin believes the former first-round pick is prime for a rebound.

“He’s a talented young player,” Tomlin said (via Pryor). “I’m sure he suffered some disappointment in terms of Troy starting. It’s a natural thing, but he’s got to move past it. I got to give him an opportunity to move past it as a leader.”

The Steelers’ offensive line has already been wrecked by injuries. Center Nate Herbig is likely out for the year while recovering from a torn rotator cuff, and guard Isaac Seumalo hasn’t played this season while dealing with a pectoral injury.

Steelers Expected To Start Troy Fautanu At Right Tackle

August 13th, 2024 at 10:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers have used back-to-back first-round picks on tackles, aiming at a long-term foundation. The team, however, is believed to have rated Troy Fautanu as a higher-end prospect compared to Broderick Jones. That assessment looks to have been reflected during training camp.

Fautanu is currently battling an MCL sprain, but he is expected back for the Steelers’ regular-season opener. When Fautanu returns, it appears he will do so as a starter. The No. 20 overall pick has already done enough to be considered the team’s first-string right tackle, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.

This quick anointment represents an important development for the Steelers, who moved on from multiyear RT Chukwuma Okorafor this offseason. The team had benched Okorafor to install Jones at RT midway through last season. Jones kicked over to left tackle this offseason but is back on the right side, per Dulac, while Fautanu is on the mend.

Although the Steelers are transitioning away from Dan Moore Jr. as a starter, Dulac adds the 2025 free agent-to-be will eventually compete for the LT job with Jones. The latter held that position for the past three years, but his inconsistent play helped lead to the Steelers prioritizing tackles over the past two drafts.

Moore held off Jones for the LT job last year, but Pro Football Focus graded him outside the top 60 among tackles. The advanced metrics site has never viewed the former fourth-round pick as a top-50 tackle, and Dulac indeed indicates Jones probably has the edge. Moore as a swingman would stand to hurt his 2025 FA market, but young tackles with extensive starting experience are not regularly available. The 49-game starter also would stand to be an important depth piece — assuming Jones and Fautanu are indeed Pittsburgh’s first-string tackles — this season.

Fautanu came into camp in a backup role, though it has not taken much time for the Steelers to decide the Washington product is ready. Fautanu did allow two sacks in his preseason debut, which the MCL injury shortened, but the team has evidently seen enough during practice to make this early call. Now, the Steelers will wait until the point it can place its preferred tackles back on the field together.

AFC Injury Updates: Ojabo, Fautanu, Wallow, Smith

August 10th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens saw their leading edge rusher depart in free agency this offseason when Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Panthers. While the team did work to retain other top sack-getters in Justin Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy, it decided to depend on recent draft picks to replace the production lost in Clowney’s departure. Unfortunately, one of those recent draft picks is still working to get healthy as head coach John Harbaugh announced that outside linebacker David Ojabo was not cleared to play in last night’s preseason game, per Jamison Hensley of EPSN.

A second-round pick in 2022, Ojabo was a draft selection that Baltimore knew would take some time to see the field after suffering a torn Achilles at his Michigan pro day. Starting his rookie season on injured reserve, Ojabo didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 15. He only played five snaps and didn’t appear again until the season finale, which saw him collect his first NFL sack.

In 2023, Ojabo got a sack in the season opener and earned his first start in Week 3. Unfortunately, Ojabo would suffer a season ending knee/ankle injury in that first start, ending his sophomore campaign after only three games. It’s hard to say whether or not Baltimore has a grasp on Ojabo’s status. They expressed hope he would come back last season and, after he failed to do so, they expressed hope that he would be cleared in time for training camp. Neither happened, and now the Ravens find themselves continuing to wait for a healthy Ojabo.

In the meantime, the Ravens will look to a pair of Penn State-products to make up for Ojabo’s lost snaps. Former first-round pick Odafe Oweh has yet to see his season-sack total eclipse five in a season, but his ability to consistently create pressure has hopes high for a breakout season. Rookie third-rounder Adisa Isaac will try to follow his fellow Nittany Lion’s example. After spending a good amount of training camp on the non-football injury list dealing with a hamstring injury, Isaac was activated in time for the team’s first preseason game.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the AFC:

The Steelers preseason plans hit a slight setback when first-round rookie tackle Troy Fautanu suffered an MCL sprain in last night’s preseason opener, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The injury is a minor one, and Pittsburgh does not consider it serious, but with Fautanu competing with Dan Moore for the team’s starting right tackle job, any missed time is going to be crucial in the rookie’s preseason. Moore has plenty of experience, starting at left tackle for the past three years, but if Fautanu wanted to start in his rookie year, any missed time in the preseason is detrimental to that goal.
The Titans received some unfortunate news this week when it was announced that linebacker Garret Wallow will miss the 2024 NFL season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. A former fifth-round pick for the Texans, Wallow made five starts during his first two seasons in Houston before getting signed off the team’s practice squad to play in Tennessee.
Another season-ending injury unfortunately occurred in last night’s preseason contests when Dolphins backup offensive lineman Kion Smith suffered a torn ACL, per Wilson. An undrafted free agent out of Fayetteville State in 2021, Smith appeared in nine games for Miami last year. He will now be forced to sit out the 2024 campaign.

Troy Fautanu Likely To Enter Steelers Training Camp In Backup Role

June 19th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few of this year’s first-round tackle draftees are being asked to change positions. Troy Fautanu had been rumored to be headed to right tackle, and the No. 20 overall pick confirmed that is where he expects the Steelers to slot him in his first NFL training camp.

Fautanu’s expected move to right tackle is part of an interesting plan for the Steelers, who are preparing to use a 2023 right tackle on the left side and pit two 2023 LTs against each other on the right side. After three years as the Steelers’ left tackle starter, Dan Moore Jr. is projected to switch sides to accommodate Broderick Jones‘ rumored LT move.

During Moore’s time at left tackle, the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks to bolster the position. As the three-year starter heads into a contract year, he could be moving toward free agency from a backup role. That does not appear to be in the cards just yet.

Moore appeared far ahead of Fautanu during the offseason program, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes, while adding the veteran’s lead should be expected due to the experience gap (subscription required). But Fautanu will need to unseat a 49-start player. Pittsburgh’s Moore plan has been rather complicated, as the incumbent LT remained in his blindside post during OTAs. But the expectation remains he will move to right tackle.

The Steelers are certainly grooming Fautanu to start opposite Jones, who manned the left side for Georgia in 2022 before replacing Chukwuma Okorafor at Pittsburgh’s RT midway through the season. Rumors about Jones pushing Moore last summer emerged, but the former fourth-round pick held off the high-end prospect. The Steelers are believed to have viewed Fautanu as a superior prospect to Jones, so it will be interesting to see if the rookie can mount a strong challenge once the pads come on.

Harshly assessing Moore’s pass protection, Pro Football Focus slotted the Texas A&M alum outside the top 60 among tackles last year. The advanced metrics site charged him with eight sacks allowed; among tackles who started full seasons, PFF rated Moore as the worst pass protector. With one of this era’s most sack-prone quarterbacks (Russell Wilson) likely to start, this sets up as a shaky combination.

Moore, 25, is most likely playing his final season in Pittsburgh. With free agency in sight, this profiles as a pivotal position battle. Moore’s experience edge will matter, of course, but the position change stands to negate that to some degree. He has all of five NFL snaps at RT.

The fifth tackle chosen this year, Fautanu checked in as the No. 11 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. Fautanu spent the past two seasons as a full-time starter at Washington, including a 2023 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He joins Joe Alt, JC Latham, Tyler Guyton, Taliese Fuaga and Graham Barton as first-round O-linemen set to change positions as rookies. Barton is moving from left tackle back to center; the others are flipping tackle spots.

As the Steelers’ Jones rookie-year plan showed, Moore beating out Fautanu in camp would not relegate the rookie to full-season backup duty. But Moore’s early lead here could also point to a developmental season for the team’s hopeful long-term RT.

Steelers Sign Round 1 T Troy Fautanu

June 3rd, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Using a first-round pick on a tackle for the second straight year, the Steelers have revamped their situation at this position. The more recent of the two investments, No. 20 overall pick Troy Fautanu, is now signed.

The Steelers agreed to terms with Fautanu on Monday, locking him down through the 2027 season. This contract, as all first-rounders’ do, includes a fifth-year option that will need to be exercised or declined by May 2027. Fautanu joins Broderick Jones as Pittsburgh’s hopeful long-term tackle answers.

Rumors about Pittsburgh using Fautanu at right tackle, and sliding Jones to the left side have emerged, but the team could also opt to bring the Washington product along slowly — as it did Jones in 2023. The team still rosters three-year LT starter Dan Moore, though he has struggled at points over the course of his rookie deal. One season remains on Moore’s rookie contract, pointing to a near-future reality in which the Steelers roll out a Jones-Fautanu tandem.

The Steelers viewed Fautanu as a superior prospect to Jones and looked into trade-up avenues, but the recent left tackle starter for the national championship game-bound Huskies dropped to No. 20 in a tackle-rich draft. Playing left tackle opposite eventual second-round Ravens draftee Roger Rosengarten, Fautanu became a high-end tackle prospect during his Washington stay. The 6-foot-4, 317-pound blocker earned first-team All-Pac-12 acclaim while blocking for Michael Penix Jr.

It will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh arranges its blockers come Week 1. The team kept Jones on the bench behind Moore and then-RT Chukwuma Okorafor to start last season, but the Georgia prospect took over on the right side midway through. The Steelers cut Okorafor earlier this offseason; he is now competing for the Patriots’ LT post. One of the team’s first-round tackle investments will be a right tackle in the not-too-distant future, however, as Moore’s time in Pittsburgh appears to be winding down.

Should Fautanu supplant Moore as a starter, this season will mark a shift for a Steelers team that has used midlevel investments at tackle for many years. Jones represented the first Round 1 tackle to see extended time with the Steelers since Wayne Gandy in 2002. The team has used an array of blockers chosen outside the first round, most recently slotting the likes of Moore (fourth round), Okorafor (third round) and UDFA Alejandro Villanueva into its lineup. The Steelers will aim for a higher ceiling with Jones and Fautanu.

Latest On Steelers’ Offensive Line

May 25th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers offensive line in 2023 was pretty decent, allowing the ninth-least sacks in the NFL and ranking as the 13th-best rushing offense. Still, Pittsburgh opted to make a number of moves towards an upgrade on their offensive front for the 2024 season. In fact, the Steelers utilized their first two draft picks (and three of seven) this year on linemen, and all three could be in line to start as rookies.

The only position that lost a starter on the line this year was center. The team watched their starter of the last two seasons, Mason Cole, depart in free agency. Cole graded out as the league’s 29th-best center out of 36 graded players at the position last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). They have a couple options to replace Cole, including veteran Nate Herbig. Herbig hasn’t played center much at the college or NFL level, but he has versatile experience all over the line and could be utilized there in a pinch. The favorite to start, though, is the second-round rookie out of West Virginia, Zach Frazier.

At guard things are a bit more interesting. Like Frazier, fourth-round rookie guard out of South Dakota State Mason McCormick is currently slotted to start on the depth chart of the team’s website. McCormick is listed as the starting left guard, presumably because that’s the only position he played in college. The team’s returning left guard, Isaac Seumalo, graded out as the team’s best offensive lineman in 2023, though, per PFF. So, unless the team benches their top returning lineman, Seumalo or McCormick will need to move over to the right side to compete with James Daniels. Seumalo has experience starting at right guard in the past, so it makes the most sense to move him over.

At tackle, the Steelers utilized their first-round pick to bring in Washington lineman Troy Fautanu. Many projected Fautanu’s skillset to fit best at guard or center at the NFL-level, though he spent most of his time at tackle during college in Seattle. Pittsburgh believes that he has the ability to stay at tackle and start in the NFL. Pundits predict that last year’s rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones will remain at right tackle, where he played in 2023, putting Fautanu at left tackle to replace Dan Moore Jr. as the starter. According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, though, Fautanu has spent the first three days of organized team activities at right tackle behind Jones.

Kaboly doesn’t think Fautanu will stay as the backup at right tackle, though. More likely, with OTAs serving as the ideal time to mold and learn. This experience is the perfect opportunity for Fautanu to learn both positions in the event that he may have to move over to the right side and fill in for an injured Jones. It’s not uncommon for offensive lineman to need time to develop, but the Steelers likely didn’t use their first two draft picks on players they didn’t intend to start.

Things are still extremely early. The rookies are still finding their footing, and a number of camp battles are sure to ensue. The team even has plenty of time to sign a veteran free agent if they deem it necessary. Still, Pittsburgh has the potential to serve as a rare occasion in which we see three rookies starting across the offensive line.

We last saw that in 2020 when the Dolphins started Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, and Solomon Kindley (their first-, second-, and fourth-round picks, respectively) as rookies. That Miami team improved their record from 5-11 the previous year to 10-6 despite the youth across the line. The Steelers may be hoping for a similar level of improvement.

NFC North Rumors: Amegadjie, Oladapo, Turner

May 18th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After watching left tackle Braxton Jones miss six games last season, the Bears utilized a third-round pick to add some quality depth to the roster in Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. That quality depth will have to wait, though, as Amegadjie is still reportedly making his way back from a season-ending injury he suffered in college, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

Amegadjie suffered a partially torn quad in his final season at Yale that limited him to only four games last year after he underwent surgery. The team claims that doctors had medically cleared Amegadjie, but he has yet to practice in Chicago and will likely be sidelined for the at least the remainder of the spring. Head coach Matt Eberflus said that the plan is for the rookie to be ready by training camp.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC North:

Another rookie getting a delayed start to his NFL career is Packers safety Kitan Oladapo, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. The fifth-round pick out of Oregon State broke the big toe on his left foot during a drill at the NFL scouting combine. He waited to undergo surgery until after his pro day, where he still performed in position drills, and made teams aware of the situation during the pre-draft process. Currently sporting a protective boot and riding a scooter to lessen stress on the toe, Oladapo is not expected to participate in any offseason workouts. He aims to be ready by training camp.
New Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner suffered from an unprecedented run of offensive draft picks to open the 2024 NFL Draft. After the minor slide to the middle of the first round, Turner finally came off the board at No. 17 overall as the third defensive player taken. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated hints that the unforeseen streak of offensive players may not have been the only reason that Turner slipped later than expected. Breer says that Turner, UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu, and Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu all fell due to red flags from medical concerns coming into the draft. Without those issues, Breer speculates the three would’ve gone closer to their projected values.

AFC East Notes: Allen, Bills, Coleman, Staff, Washington, Jets, Patriots, Slater, Dolphins

May 12th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Having traded Stefon Diggs weeks after letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency, the Bills are facing questions about their receiving corps. The team’s top offseason investment at the position — No. 33 overall pick Keon Coleman — encouraged Josh Allen. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance he had Allen join coaches in watching some film of receiver prospects. Coleman was among the candidates the superstar passer preferred, expressing his approval after being informed on Day 2 of the draft the Bills would go with the Florida State wideout. Although Coleman did not produce an 800-yard receiving season with the Seminoles, the Bills look set to count on the 6-foot-4 pass catcher as they remake their receiving corps.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Jets have moved on from one of the better-known members of their coaching staff. Leon Washington, who had been in place as assistant special teams coach in each of Robert Saleh‘s three seasons, did not see his contract renewed for the 2024 season, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. This marked the former Jets kick returner/running back’s first full-time coaching gig, after a run of fellowships since his playing career ended after the 2014 season. A Jets contributor from 2006-09, Washington earned All-Pro honors in 2008. Earlier this offseason, the Jets lost special teams assistant Michael Ghobrial to the Giants. Dan Shamash, who helps advise Saleh in terms of game management, is now listed as an ST assistant for the team. Brant Boyer remains in place as the team’s ST coordinator.
Rome Odunze may well have been the Jets’ preference at No. 10, but after the Bears went with the Washington wideout at 9, the team was set on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. The Jets were also high on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the team carried some long-term durability concerns about the Pac-12 blocker. Two other tackles — Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals) — went off the board before Fautanu, who slid to the Steelers at No. 20. Some teams flagged Fautanu’s knee as a medical concern, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It appears the Jets were one of them.
Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins contract includes a void year, which will drop his cap number by a bit. The new Miami WR3 will count $2.1MM on the team’s 2024 cap, per OverTheCap. Beckham signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Dolphins; the team will take on a $900K dead money charge in 2025 if OBJ is not re-signed by the 2025 league year.
The Bills have either decided on their defensive play-caller, only to not reveal the choice publicly, or they are still in the process of determining who will call the signals come September. Sean McDermott said (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski) he is delaying this decision until at least training camp. McDermott called plays last season, with the Bills having moved on from longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, but the Bills now have a DC again in Bobby Babich. The Bills have been a top-five defense in each of the past three seasons, though their units — as key injuries hit in each season — have struggled in the playoffs.
Matthew Slater‘s immediate transition to coaching will come in a full-time role, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The perennial Pro Bowl special-teamer is working as a “right-hand man” to Jerod Mayo, with Reiss noting the new Patriots HC is receiving input from his former teammate regarding team-building and character development. Slater, 38, spent 16 seasons with the Patriots, coming into the league in the same 2008 draft class Mayo did.
Staying with that 2008 draft class, one of its members recently landed a scouting gig. The Dolphins hired Beau Bell as a pro scout, according to InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton. A 2008 fourth-round Browns draftee, Bell only played five NFL games. He will make the move to a full-time role after receiving an apprentice opportunity with the Rams and serving as GM of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.

Steelers View Troy Fautanu As Tackle; Team Eyeing James Daniels Extension?

April 26th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in 11 offensive linemen on “30” visits, the Steelers did not mask their intentions in the first round. They ended up capitalizing on this tackle-rich draft class, selecting Washington’s Troy Fautanu at No. 20 overall.

Fautanu is the second straight tackle the Steelers have chosen in Round 1, as the team traded up for Broderick Jones (No. 14 overall) last year. Some teams viewed Fautanu as a player who will be a better guard, but Mike Tomlin said (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) the Steelers view their most recent addition as a player who can stick at tackle.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted Fautanu 11th, and while some clubs envisioned the Washington alum as a player who will need to move inside, the longtime draft analyst does not. Some NFL personnel agree with this viewpoint; it would appear the Steelers are in this camp. This positions Fautanu as a player who will join Jones and Dan Moore at tackle. Moore is in a contract year, and the three-year starter appears set to be out of Pittsburgh by 2025 (at the latest) as a result of this pick.

The Steelers are believed to be ready to slide Jones from right to left tackle, his primary college position. This would open up the right side for Fautanu, who spent most of his college career at left tackle (with a few guard starts mixed in). If Jones moves over, the Steelers will be asking a left tackle — either Jones or Fautanu — to shift positions. The Steelers view Fautanu, despite his arrival six spots after where Jones was chosen last year, as a better prospect compared to the Georgia alum, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). Trade options presented themselves for the Steelers, but they stood down due to the value they believed Fautanu can provide.

Fautanu figures to complement Pittsburgh’s guard tandem (James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo) rather than threaten one of the starters’ jobs, and Kaboly goes a step further by noting the team is likely to come to an extension agreement with Daniels before Week 1. Daniels is going into the final season of a three-year, $26.5MM deal.

Despite going into his seventh NFL season, Daniels will not turn 27 until September. The former Bears second-rounder would profile as a player who has several prime years remaining, making him a good candidate for a lucrative third contract. Pro Football Focus rated the Iowa alum 33rd among guards last season and 24th in his Steelers debut. Daniels has played both guard and center as a pro, though a Bears effort to install him at center did not last beyond the 2019 season. He has operated as the Steelers’ right guard for the past two seasons.

The Steelers have both Daniels and Semualo signed to deals south of $10MM per year; a Daniels extension would probably change that. With the Steelers having both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on low-cost deals, more flexibility to spend exists. With two rookie-contract tackles in place (and no starter-caliber center on the roster as of yet), Daniels may be set to benefit soon. The Steelers do not negotiate extensions in-season, so Week 1 would double as a deadline for the team and the contract-year RG.

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