Player: T Troy Fautanu
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers used their first-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on T Troy Fautanu. Projected to go earlier, the Steelers reportedly had him ranked as their second-best tackle in the class behind Joe Alt. Fautanu stands a very good chance of being a Day 1 starter. Arguably the bigger question is whether he starts on the left or the right side.
Now that the 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, we’re going to begin cycling in the Steelers’ draft picks here. And imagine that, we’re even starting from their first pick. The Steelers landed T Troy Fautanu in the first round, a player with a high potential as a Day 1 starter.
Though he lacks ideal size as a tackle, Fautanu is big enough to play there without question. His arm length mitigates what he may lack in height, though he still likely can kick inside, theoretically. He has outstanding footwork for the most part though has areas of improvement to address.
The thing to like about Fautanu, I think, is that he isn’t just a high-floor guy. He also has a high ceiling. He should, at worst, be a quality starter, and he has Pro Bowl-level talent if he continues to grow. The only reason the Steelers had the opportunity to take him is because this was a deep tackle class. That and six teams took quarterbacks in the first 12 picks.
The fact that Fautanu grew up a Steelers fan is both irrelevant and nice to know. At the least, it should help ease his transition from the west coast to the east coast, I suppose. Maybe there’s a little more motivation there. But Kevin Dotson grew up a Steelers fan as well, and things soured from there.
One nice little nugget I appreciated is the fact that Dan Moore Jr. reached out to Fautanu after the Steelers drafted him. Moore is the man who figures to lose his job thanks to Fautanu. But while he’s not whimpering over it, he’s also not going down without a fight. He didn’t back down from Broderick Jones last year. I don’t know if Moore eventually decides to ask for a trade, but the Steelers may trade him anyway.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
