The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Washington Huskies offensive lineman Troy Fautanu with their first round pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, which is being praised as a solid value pick at this point due to his versatility. Fautanu can play anywhere along the offensive line, seeing snaps at every position upfront except center during his time with the Huskies. One of the main reasons that he fell down most draft boards was late injury reports regarding his knee, which was flagged as being fine in the short term, but something to be concerned about in the long term.
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Steelers select Washington's Troy Fautanu.
In their press conference following the selection, General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin issued their confidence in their first round selection.
"We wouldn't select him if we weren't comfortable with it (his injury history)."
The injury doesn't appear to bother the Steelers, who still had Fautanu as one of the best players on their board. In fact, the injury may actually have helped the Steelers get their guy. The versatility that he can bring to the line allows Fautanu to potentially play at guard, or remain at tackle -- which is where Tomlin says he will play. Khan went on in the presser to not confirm or deny the reports of the injury concerns.
"I can't speak for some of the stuff that's out there, what's true and what's not, and what other people are saying. But we are comfortable."
Fautanu's history includes injuries to both his ACL (knee) and Lisfranc (foot). As a junior at Washington, he played in all 15 games, and was awarded the 2023 Morris Trophy, which is awarded to the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12. Next Gen Stats has Fautanu as the third highest rated tackle in the draft with an 86 overall draft score. Though he gave up two sacks in 2023, it appears that the newest member of the Steelers is ready to go for the upcoming season.
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Steelers' Troy Fautanu during his time in college.
What Did The Steelers Get In Fautanu?
ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. praised Fautanu's strength and athleticism in protecting the now Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., on their way to the National Championship game this past season.
"Fautanu really impressed me in 2023. He played 114 snaps at guard over the past three years, but the majority of his time was at left tackle, where he allowed just two sacks and 25 total pressures in 28 starts. That's on more than 1,100 pass-blocking snaps. He is a hard-nosed, intense tackle, but he plays under control and has excellent feet and strong hands. He kept the pocket clean for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was sacked just 11 times in 15 games."
Whether Fautanu ends up playing at guard, where Kiper thinks he'd be best used, or at tackle, which is what Khan and the Steelers drafted him to be, the consensus around the league seems to be that the Steelers got the best player available at a position of need.
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