Troy Fautanu: Grading Pittsburgh Steelers' No. 20 pick in NFL draft

It's evident that the Steelers need offensive line help and the organization filled that pressing need by drafting offensive guard Troy Fautanu from Washington at No. 20 overall. For a mauler of a lineman who can play guard, tackle, or even center, Pittsburgh might have just found a franchise guy.

Here's the grade.

Fautanu is a bruiser of a left tackle who is best suited on the outside but has the versatility to play in the interior. The Washington product, who was a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, is a tad bit on the smaller side for elite linemen (6-foot-4, 317 pounds), but his production as a two-year starter makes up for those metrics. Since 2022, Fautanu has allowed just two sacks and five quarterback hits across 1,161 pass-blocking snaps.

The Steelers’ offensive line slightly improved last season but was still a below-average unit that struggled in protection. They need to keep quarterbacks Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields upright and give the quarterback more time to throw in the pocket.

Adding Fautanu, who is multidimensional and mobile, is a great fit for Arthur Smith’s zone running attack and fits the mold as a hard-nosed, physical tackle that embodies Steeler football. If slotted in at tackle, he will most likely line up on the opposite side of 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, who showed flashes of greatness as a rookie last season, to give Pittsburgh a nice, young tandem on the outside for presumably the next decade. If not, he is a plug-and-play guy at guard or center, but the rest of the Steelers' draft could answer those questions.

The pick makes perfect sense from a need standpoint and Steeler fans should be satisfied with this addition.

Grade: A-