The Pittsburgh Steelers are in need of a center, that much has been glaringly obvious since Mason Cole was released in late February and they failed to sign anyone in free agency in March. Most of the focus has been on the top three centers in the draft in Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Zach Frazier, but it is an overall deep class of offensive linemen. There are other center options out there. Some of those names could ultimately surprise people. Much like Graham Barton, who played left tackle for the majority of his college career, Washington OT Troy Fautanu might have the potential to kick inside, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
“Overall, Fautanu is explosive on the move and at contact with the foot quickness, body control and temperament to stack wins in both pass protection and as a run blocker in the NFL,” Brugler wrote in his annual pre-draft issue of The Beast. “While he has the talent to remain at tackle, his skill set also projects well to guard and center and he offers legitimate five-position potential at the next level.”
That is quite a revelation.
Most of the talk surrounding Fautanu has been whether he will kick inside to guard. He is shorter than your average NFL tackle (6036), though he does make up for it with 34 1/2-inch arms. But if the Steelers view him as center capable, that could explain why they have shown so much interest in him throughout the pre-draft process.
Pat Meyer was out west for his pro day and reportedly had a private meeting with him prior to the event. They also recently brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Since his experience is almost entirely at left tackle, the interest seems a bit puzzling. It was just a month ago that GM Omar Khan said they drafted Broderick Jones last year to be a left tackle and that he will eventually end up back there. So why were they showing interest in a left tackle prospect? I think it is reasonable to conclude that they don’t view him as a left tackle in their system.
Similar to Barton, who excelled as a left tackle and has traits to make him successful at any of the five positions along the offensive line, Fautanu could be a safer pick in the first round as he will almost certainly succeed at one of the five positions. Whether that is center or eventually using him at guard with James Daniels in the last year of his contract and Isaac Seumalo 30 years old.
If anybody has the inside scoop on Washington prospects, it would be the Steelers. Former Steelers TE Mark Bruener serves as a college scout for the organization and remains very close to his alma mater where he from 1991-1994. At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine Fautanu’s teammate, Roger Rosengarten, said that Bruener is very close with many of the players at Washington. His son, Carson, is a linebacker for the team.
Fautanu would be more of a projection at center with no relevant experience at the position to speak of, but it adds a level of intrigue to their interest in him as a prospect. Brugler had Fautanu as the top guard on his big board and at No. 9 overall. If teams view him as more of a guard, he is unlikely to go as high as No. 9. If he falls into the Steelers’ range, things could get interesting.
As a less-relevant nugget of information, Brugler noted in his report that Fautanu wore number 43 growing up because of Troy Polamalu. I don’t think he would mind following in Polamalu’s footsteps as a Polynesian player from the Pac-12 becoming a Steelers first-round pick.
