Steelers Host Bruising Offensive Lineman Troy Fautanu For Top 30 Visit

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to address several areas of need in the upcoming NFL Draft, with the offensive line near the top of their list. To get to know these players and determine who might be a good fit in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have been scheduling top-30 visits with some prospects. So far, these visits have included tackles Amarius Mims and Taliese Fuaga, and they are hosting Troy Fautanu. 

According to a post from ESPN NFL Insider, Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers invited Fautanu, an offensive tackle from Washington, for a pre-draft visit. The Steelers have always expressed interest in him, with Offensive Line Coach Pat Meyer attending the Washington Pro Day. Meyer worked with Fautanu on some drills during that visit and met with him and his family. 

Fautanu has been a starter for the Huskies for the last two seasons, primarily at left tackle, but he has also filled in at left guard. Some analysts have reported that the almost 6'4", 317-pound player would be better suited at guard as he is smaller than your average NFL tackle. However, he does have nice long arms at 34.5", which is the same length as Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. While he is not the biggest tackle out there, he is one of the more athletic ones.

During the NFL Combine, he showed good speed, running the 40-yard dash in 5.01 seconds. While he could be beaten by length, his tenacity and good footwork made up for that. Coming from a strong program at Washington, he has the potential to be a solid NFL starter. While he had a few areas to improve upon, such as his hand placement and patience, his football smarts, aggressiveness, and willingness to be coached received praise.  

Another appealing fact about Fautanu, who just wrapped up his fifth year with the Huskies, is that he will turn 24 in October. This gives him more experience than many other rookies. When the Steelers drafted Broderick Jones, an offensive tackle out of Georgia in 2023, he had limited starts in 2022 because the team had so much depth. Fautanu, on the other hand, played all of 2022 and 2023. That extra playing time in college can make a big difference according to Ramon Foster, who started as a guard for the Steelers, playing 11 seasons total. 

These top-30 visits help Head Coach Mike Tomlin understand how well a potential player will fit in the locker room. It will also be interesting to see where Fautanu goes in the draft, as many predict he will be gone by the time the Steelers select at 20. They may have to consider moving up like they did to obtain Jones. 

Steelers Offensive Line Needs More Than A Tackle

The Steelers don't just need a tackle for the offensive line; they also need a center. The team decided to release Mason Cole early in free agency after he had an underwhelming 2023 season. While most fans were grateful to see him go, it did create a sense of urgency about finding a replacement. 

Many mock drafts have the Steelers taking a tackle in the first round and a center in the second round. Some say the team may trade up to get a decent center in the second round, with most analysts agreeing that the top interior linemen will be gone by the Steelers' pick at 51. However, others feel there is zero chance the team will go offensive line back-to-back in the first two rounds.  

What do you think the Steelers will do in the draft? What do you think of Fautanu? Click to comment below.

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