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