It’s a sight the New York Jets hope is restricted to preseason play this year.
First-round rookie Olu Fashanu earned the start at left tackle in the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders on August 10 at MetLife Stadium. The Penn State product played the entire first half, registering 25 snaps on offense and three more in the kicking game.
“Young rookie. Make sure he’s getting as many reps,” said fourth-year head coach Robert Saleh following the team’s 20-17 victory. “Obviously, it would be a great year if this is the extent of his playing time, so we want to make sure we’re getting him as many plays as possible.”
Fashanu appeared to hold up adequately during his pro debut. He did not allow for any sacks and notched wins in the run game, too. Rookie Braelon Allen recorded a 16-yard gain off left tackle on a touchdown drive. The behemoth blocker was flagged for one false start penalty on a 2nd-and-4.
“He did well, I love to see him out there. I love to see him playing, he’s a great player, he’s a great kid,” said second-year center Joe Tippmann, who played the first two possessions with Fashanu on Saturday.
Fashanu, the No. 11 overall draft pick, projects as the primary backup behind eight-time Pro Bowl selection Tyron Smith. According to Saleh, the rookie will work exclusively at left tackle during training camp for the time being.
“Seeing him develop over camp has been awesome, he’s somebody that’s always working to get better,” said Tippmann. “He took that onto his shoulders really well, the whole being a first-round guy. You expect to be able to hop in there and I think he’s been able to carry that load really well.”
Seeing Fashanu on the sideline once the regular season begins means Smith is healthy and the talented rookie has an opportunity to serve in an understudy role behind a legendary veteran.
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