Fautanu possesses a welcomed nasty demeanor to the OL

by Bo Marchionte
Published April 26, 2024, 09:37 AM

Youngstown, OH – Pittsburgh was on the clock with the 20th overall pick Thursday night. The suspense was relatively moderate considering the offensive line appeared to be the position the Steelers coveted most. 

The Steelers did something they haven’t done since drafting Stanford guard David DeCastro in 2012. They took a PAC-12 player in round one when Washington’s Troy Fautanu found out he was heading to Pittsburgh. 

“Really excited about Troy (Fautanu), as Omar (Khan) said,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said addressing the media after the selection. “And the tape was really, really impressive, not only in terms of his talents, but really, I think his talents were really highlighted by the way Washington utilized his talents schematically.”

It marks back-to-back years for Pittsburgh addressing the offensive line after taking Broderick Jones out of Georgia last year in round one. During his career with the Huskies, Fautanu spent time at both left guard and left tackle where he got the bulk of his collegiate tape built. 

Earning Third team Associated Press All-American honors this past season he played all 15 games for Washington at the left tackle spot, but let’s remember the quarterback he was protecting in Michael Penix Jr. is a left-handed thrower. 

Fautanu’s body proportion makes you think the guard position at the next level from Tomlin was quick to point out that they plan on using the Henderson, Nevada native at tackle. The 6-foot-4 and 317 pounder plays with a nasty disposition which should endear him to the Acrisure Stadium faithful as Fautanu finishes off his man way after the whistle blows. The extracurricular mindset should he blossom into what Pittsburgh wants him to be should mesh well with second-year tackle Jones and forming a tenacious unit up front.  

“We see him as a tackle,” Tomlin said when responding to the question if Fautanu is viewed as taking snaps under center for the Steelers. 

With the selection of Fautanu along with Jones from last season the Steelers have invested heavy draft capital in their offensive line that allowed the ninth fewest sacks (36) in the league last season and roughly in the middle of the league in rushing yards per attempt at 4.1 ypc. 

Entering day two of the 2024 draft still leaves the lingering question on when or if the Steelers are going to address the center position after releasing Mason Cole earlier this offseason. A few candidates to keep your eyes on if the team elects to use the draft to fill the spot are Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier and Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com