Steelers inside the ropes: Rookie offensive linemen carry 2nd-team status for 1st camp practice

With three picks among the first half of April’s draft devoted to offensive linemen, the Pittsburgh Steelers signaled a proverbial changing of the guard along that unit in the not-too-distant future.

The operative word — if one practice means anything — remains future.

First-round tackle Troy Fautanu, second-round center Zach Frazier and fourth-round guard Mason McCormick ran with the second-team offense Thursday during the first practice of this year’s training camp at Saint Vincent.

The most notable aspect might have been that Fautanu repped at right tackle. That’s perhaps the most tangible strong signal yet that the long-range plan for the Steelers’ offensive line involves Fautanu at right tackle with Broderick Jones shifting to the left side of a line bookended by the Steelers’ past two first-round picks. That would fit most closely with projections for the futures of each.

Frazier, meanwhile, formally remains behind veteran Nate Herbig on the center depth chart.

McCormick running at left guard on the second team is interesting because of the Steelers’ two veteran starting guards it is James Daniels — the starter on the right side — who is entering the final year of his contract. Isaac Seumalo is the starter at left guard.

• If there was any question about it, Jones remained at right tackle with the first-teamers. Dan Moore Jr., a three-year returning starter at left tackle, remained there throughout practice.

• The other members on the second-team line were Dylan Cook at left tackle and Spencer Anderson at right guard. Each spent all of last season on the 53-man active roster. The third-team O-line, from left to right: Devery Hamilton, Tyler Beach, Ryan McCollum, Joey Fisher, Anderson Hardy.

• It would surprise few to know that perhaps the biggest-gaining run during an 11-on-11 practice rep on Day 1 came from a quarterback. But what would surprise is that the scramble of about 20 yards down the right sideline Thursday was not from Justin Fields or Russell Wilson but from No. 3 quarterback Kyle Allen.

• In what might be a fitting harbinger of the offense this season under new coordinator Arthur Smith, the first 11-on-11 rep of training camp was a pass to a tight end: Pat Freiermuth over the middle from Fields.

• The first-team slot/nickel on Day 1 seemed to be a rotation between undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop and safety DeShon Elliott. In effect, on this day, that meant that Bishop and Damontae Kazee were splitting starter’s reps because when Bishop was on the field with the first team that most often bumped Kazee off it and Elliott to safety.

• Then again, the Steelers played relatively little nickel Thursday. That was because the Smith offense often went with formations involving two tight ends. Freiermuth played along with, at times, Darnell Washington and/or Connor Heyward. That left the defense in a “base” 3-4.

• Heyward had a nice catch and run along the right sideline, beating Elliott. He pulled up lame after it, holding his right calf. It did not appear serious.

• Veteran defensive back Cameron Sutton did not take any first-team reps. Though he has the pedigree of a starter and is a leading candidate to be the nickel, Sutton is suspended for the first eight regular-season games.

• Fullback Jack Colletto checked in with the first-team offense and caught a pass. The Steelers did not carry a true fullback last season, using Heyward lined up in the backfield on rare occasions.

• Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson most often served as wide receivers running with the starters, of course along with George Pickens. For what it’s worth, Austin was on the field for the first 11-on-11 snap. The Steelers have a virtual open competition for the two “starters” at WR aside from Pickens.