Assessing the Steelers’ Selection of Troy Fautanu
Detroit was the site of the 2024 NFL Draft. Night one of the draft featured a large amount of offensive players selected, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were no exception, as they selected versatile Washington OL Troy Fautanu.
Following the pick, general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin talked about Fautanu, with Tomlin saying that he would start out as a tackle.
The selection of Fautanu makes it back-to-back years, in which the Steelers have drafted an offensive tackle in Round 1. Broderick Jones was taken out of Georgia a year ago.
Fautanu didn’t become a full-time starter at Washington until he was a redshirt junior in 2022. That year, he was named to the All-Pac 12 second-team.
Last year, Fautanu elevated his game even more, as he was awarded with the Morris Trophy, which is given to the top offensive lineman in the Pac 12.
Aside from individual performance by Fautanu, the 2023 Huskies’ offensive line was recognized as the best in the nation, and it led to Michael Penix Jr. becoming a Heisman finalist.
Upon being selected at 20, Fautanu expressed plenty of emotion. While fulfilling a childhood dream would be an obvious reason, another could be that Fautanu grew up a Steelers fan, and his football idol growing up was Troy Polamalu.
Fautanu is listed at 6’4, 317 pounds, which makes him undersized, but he does have a 34-inch arm length, so it should play out well at the tackle position.
Coming out of college, Fautanu was rated an excellent, pass blocking lineman. As a matter of fact, he allowed only two sacks and five QB hits, in his final two seasons combined at Washington. Fautanu’s run blocking skills however leave some to be desired. Most scouts point to his lack of technique in the run game, which is something he’ll look to iron out at the pro level.
Numerous mock drafts actually had Fautanu projected mid-first round. ESPN’s Mel Kiper in particular had Fautanu going #10 on his draft board.
Assessment: The selection of Fautanu is a solid choice. Personally, I would’ve thought the Steelers would go with Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, given Pittsburgh’s need for a center, but I’m certainly not going to complain with Fautanu being the pick.
Fautanu’s pass blocking skills are really off the charts, and it’s something that would be vital to protecting Russell Wilson, who is not as mobile a quarterback as he used to be. In addition, Fautanu gives the Steelers a capable, plug-and-play guy on the O-line, with the ability to handle both tackle and guard in a pinch.