When it was almost time for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pick at No. 20 on the first day of the NFL Draft, many thought that Duke OL Graham Barton would be the selection. It turns out, he almost was, but only if Troy Fautanu wouldn’t have been available. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac posted on X that if Fautanu wasn’t available, the Steelers were going to go with either Barton or Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton.
He also said that Troy Fautanu was a top-10 player on the Steelers’ overall board. This is in line with what GM Omar Khan said after the draft in a press conference posted on the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
“Position aside, he was the highest rated guy on our board,” Khan said. “And so that just speaks to our level of excitement about having an opportunity to get him.”
Both Guyton and Barton went on to be drafted at back end of the first round. Guyton went to the Dallas Cowboys and Barton was selected at No. 26 as the first center option off the board to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It is interesting that all three names listed by Dulac were offensive players. Fourteen offensive players were selected before the first defensive player came off the board. The Steelers had their pick of literally any cornerback in the draft class, and still their top three, according to Dulac, were offensive linemen. This speaks to the level of offensive talent in this class, as well as the Steelers’ desire to continue upgrading their offensive line.
They were probably wise to target a tackle, with eight of them coming off the board in the first round. The tackle options moving further into the draft will be very limited. Barton was the only center taken, so the Steelers still have opportunities to draft either Zach Frazier or Jackson Powers-Johnson, though they might have to trade up to do so with their next pick at No. 51.
