The Pittsburgh Steelers are doing their homework on a large number of first-round offensive linemen. And Washington Troy Fautanu seems near the top of that list.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Steelers were one of the teams Fautanu privately met with prior to his Thursday Pro Day workout.
Michael Penix Jr. wasn’t the only Husky to have a strong Pro Day. Huskies LT Troy Fautanu “may be a top 10 pick after yesterday,” one scout told me.
Fautanu met privately with the #Jets, #Raiders, #Steelers, #Rams and #Chargers prior to his Pro Day, per sources. https://t.co/a8IcMSzPKr pic.twitter.com/qisDPYG7Ua
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 29, 2024
As Schultz’s tweet notes, Fautanu’s gaining buzz in the pre-draft process to the point where he could be long gone before the Steelers are on the clock at No. 20.
Details over the Steelers’ meeting with Fautanu aren’t fully known. But Pittsburgh sent two representatives to the Huskies’ Pro Day in offensive line coach Pat Meyer and area scout Mark Bruener, who played at Washington during his college career. The Huskies have two o-line first-round candidates in Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, the latter a borderline player who may fall into the second round.
Meyer has been on the West Coast throughout the pre-draft process, also attending Oregon Pro Day for C Jackson Powers-Johnson and Oregon State Pro Day for OT Taliese Fuaga.
Size is the biggest question with Fautanu. Under 6-4, it’s rare for someone of his height to be drafted in the first round and stay at tackle. In most cases, those prospects get shifted to guard or center. But Fautanu has great length with over 34-inch arms, giving him a chance to stick at tackle. Experienced with 31 starts, most of his time has come at left tackle though he’s also logged snaps at left guard.
In addition to the big guys up front, the Steelers have also expressed interest in Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Pittsburgh reportedly has a pre-draft visit scheduled with him sometime next month and though it’s unlikely the Steelers spend an early pick on a quarterback, they’re clearly doing their homework.
Along with Fautanu, the Steelers have heavy interest in Georgia OT Amarius Mims while Alabama’s JC Latham is another option should be slip slightly below his current draft projection.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held April 25-27 in Detroit. Check out our full scouting report on Troy Fautanu below.
