The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20 in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Less than 10 minutes after the pick, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson greeted his newest teammate on X (formerly Twitter).
“Welcome @tFautanu to the Burgh!” Wilson posted, tagging Fautanu.
Fautanu played as the left tackle for Washington and helped the team reach the national championship game last season. According to Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora, Fautanu spent 984 snaps at left tackle in 2023.
The Steelers, however, already have Dan Moore Jr.as their starting left tackle. 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones is also a natural left tackle, but he played as the right tackle during the second half of last season.
So, the major question about Fautanu is where he will play in Pittsburgh.
But Wilson probably doesn’t mind too much. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 317 pounds with 34.5-inch arms, Fautanu is expected to be an excellent protector for Wilson regardless of where he plays.
“Ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Fautanu has starting experience at tackle and guard and is well-coached, but he will default to unruly hand-fighting when his technique gets away from him.
“Fautanu needs to prove he has the leverage and hand quickness to play inside, but all signs point toward him becoming a good future starter.”
Will Troy Fautanu Play Left or Right Tackle for Russell Wilson?
Drafting tackles in back-to-back first rounds could give the Steelers their offensive line bookends for the foreseeable future. But who plays right tackle remains uncertain.
Moore, Jones, and Fautanu all have most of their experience at left tackle.
At the end of 2023, Jones played as the right tackle. However, Steelers general manager Omar Khan made it clear at the NFL combine that the team still plans for Jones to eventually play left tackle.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained to reporters last November that Moore had not been considered an option at right tackle because he was significantly worse at that spot than the left tackle.
Moore has been a serviceable left tackle at times. But Jones and Fautanu have more raw talent. Moore is also entering the final year of his rookie contract.
If the Steelers want to move Jones to left tackle this fall, Fautanu is likely the best choice to start at right tackle. That will probably be just fine with Pittsburgh’s 2024 first-round pick.
“My mindset has always been to do whatever’s necessary to get on the field though,” Fautanu told The Draft Network’s Justin Melo on April 16. “I want to play. I can’t make my biggest impact if I’m not on the field. For me, I’ll play wherever at this level.
“At the end of the day, I’m an offensive lineman. I truly feel like my versatility will bring value to the organization.”
On April 25, Tomlin didn’t say whether Fautanu would play left or right tackle in 2024. However, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly tweeted that Tomlin “emphatically said” he will not play center.
Fautanu Grew Up a Steelers Fan
It's still unknown if Fautanu can be a perfect fit at right tackle. But there's little uncertainty he fits the Steelers.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero posted on Twitter on April 25 that Fautanu was a fan of the Steelers when he was growing up. Pelissero also mentioned that Fautanu’s favorite player was Hall of Fame Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.
When the Steelers chose Fautanu, there were still a few offensive tackles with first-round ratings available. Also, every cornerback was still in contention.
But Khan essentially told the media the Steelers couldn’t pass on Fautanu.
“The Steelers chose to draft Fautanu instead of considering other options,” wrote TribLive.com’s Joe Rutter.
The Steelers have two more picks on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL draft. The expectation is that they will aim for a center and/or a wide receiver to further aid Wilson on offense.
