Troy Fautanu’s Work at Right Tackle Catches Dan Moore’s Eye
Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Troy Fautanu is catching the eye of fellow teammate Dan Moore Jr. at right tackle to kick off his career.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to get Troy Fautanu up to speed as he works at right tackle to start his career after playing nearly all his games at Washington at left tackle. Ask any offensive linemen, even the guys who do it effortlessly, and switching from one side to another can be complicated.
After last week, Fautanu referred to his first week of practice as ‘rough,’ but that was the perfectionist in him speaking. From all angles, teammates have poured into Fautanu, hoping to help him get up to speed quickly—notably, Dan Moore Jr. has taken Fautanu under his wing. Considering that Fautanu was selected to push Moore out of the starting lineup specifically, that feels noble. He works with Fautanu off to the side after practice every single day. Speaking after Wednesday’s session, Moore heaped praise on Fautanu’s work ethic and his early play at right tackle.
“I think Troy’s doing a really good job with his transition,” Moore said. “I definitely wouldn’t compare him to me because he looks a lot better at right tackle than I did (last year), for sure. He has good feet, he’s got long arms, he has a lot of tools that are going to make him a really good player, for sure. I guess the biggest thing for Troy (in adjusting to the NFL), with tackles, is just snap count. That’s the hardest thing to grasp. Edge defenders are so much faster off the ball.”
Troy Fautanu has elite athleticism. When I spoke to him earlier this week, Breiden Fehoko referred to his legs as tree trunks, which seems apt. When you watch Fautanu up close, the part of his game that pops is his ability to redirect in space and the explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. I don’t care how old the rookie is, but that is a rare combination of abilities to have coming into the league.
Fautanu will naturally have growing pains at right tackle since it is new to him. But he has the physical traits to acclimate to any spot early and quickly. It will take time to pick up the mental side of the game from each side, especially when the speed of the NFL is so vastly different. However, with the help of Moore and others, Fautanu should be up to speed quickly.
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