During the Pittsburgh Steelers' first training camp practice on Thursday, we may have gotten some insight into how the team plans on deploying its young offensive tackles, Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu.
According to Chris Adamski of TribLive.com, the 2024 first-round pick was running with the second-team offense on Thursday, but he did so as the right tackle. Jones was with the ones, of course, and was playing at right tackle, also, with veteran Dan Moore seeing the first-team reps on the left side on Day 1.
As Adamski notes, this could tell us that the plan is for the Steelers to eventually move Jones to the left side when Fautanu is ready to start, whenever that may be. Considering Moore's past issues, the sooner the better.
Lost in a lot of the hoopla today was that Troy Fautanu repped (with the 2nd teamers) at RIGHT tackle.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 25, 2024
That's not surprising. But it does signal that the longer-range plan is that Broderick Jones moves to left tackle with Fautanu at RT.
Had the Steelers planned on deploying the rookie at left tackle in his first season, one would assume Fautanu would have been playing there with the second-team offense. Instead, per Adamski, it was Dylan Cook who played left tackle with the twos.
Also of note, second-round pick Zach Frazier was running with the second-team offense at center.
3 rookie draft picks on the 2nd team OL
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 25, 2024
RT Troy Fautanu
C Zach Frazier
LG Mason McCormick
LT is Dylan Cook, RG Spencer Anderson
Steelers initial O-Line on air in practice.
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) July 25, 2024
Moore-Seumalo-Herbig-Daniels-Jones.
Harris at RB. Jefferson and Pickens outside WR. Austin in slot.
Of course, we always have to caution ourselves with jumping to conclusions. After all, it's just the first practice of training camp and things can change on a dime. But this is definitely something to keep in our back pocket moving forward.
MORE: Takeaways, standouts from Steelers 1st camp practice
