Steelers Rookie Offensive Linemen Impress In Debut

In this year’s draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers invested their first two picks in offensive linemen selecting tackle Troy Fautanu in the first round and center Zach Frazier in the second.

Neither player started in Friday night’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans, but both got advanced work. Fautanu made his debut on the second series at right tackle and Frazier took over at center on the third series of the game.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith praised the rookies when speaking to the media on Monday.

"All three of those rookies, the lights weren't too big for them," Smith said. "It wasn't perfect, but they played well, exactly who we thought they were when we drafted them. It was good to see."

Following the game, Fautanu was seen in a knee brace, and Smith admitted that he didn’t even know he was injured.

“I didn't even realize he had an injury because he kept playing and asked for a knee brace," Smith added. "Thankfully, he'll be alright, but that shows who he is when you get into those moments."

Playing through it is what tough guys do. Of course, now we know he will miss two weeks of healing from the injury, but his toughness cannot be overlooked. He will likely be a starter in Week 1.

Related: Steelers Will Start Fautanu in Week 1, Says Insider

Frazier looked good in his time on the field but still needs to beat out starter Nate Herbig for the job. Two of the biggest miscues for the Steelers on Friday night were the fumbled exchanges between Herbig and quarterback Justin Fields.

"I cannot remove that fundamental component of the eval," coach Mike Tomlin said. "We've got to be 1,000 percent on C-Q exchange. That's just the standard for professional ball."

The Steelers host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday in their second preseason game, so we are sure to see much more of Frazier under center this week as he continues to battle for the starting job.