The pick is in.
The 2024 NFL Draft is Omar Khan’s second year as the general manager and like in past years we want to evaluate the value of each pick. Based on projections for each player by draft outlets as well as our own reports we want to see if the pick’s value is above or below how they were ranked coming into the draft.
Round 1 (Pick 20) – Troy Fautanu/OT Washington
The Steelers had options when it was their turn to pick. It looked like offensive tackle was not to be with five being picked in the first eighteen selections in the first round. However, there were several good other options including center Graham Barton and wide receiver Brian Thomas along with defensive backs Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell who were expected to be off the board.
The choice was indeed a tackle. Troy Fautanu.
Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked 11th in his Top 150 and had this to say:
“Fautanu is an explosive left tackle prospect for the Huskies. He has average height and a thick, square build with long arms. In pass pro, he is a very easy mover, bends well and has a sharp/jolting punch. He redirects smoothly and is a nasty helper when uncovered. His biggest issue is when he gets overaggressive and loses his balance trying to pummel pass rushers instead of playing with more patience.
“In the run game, he can get underneath defenders and uproot them at the point of attack. He is very explosive as a puller and on screens, with the ability to get all the way to the third level in a hurry. He does have some starting experience at guard, and some NFL teams will project him inside. Overall, I view Fautanu as a starting tackle with positional flexibility to play all five O-line spots if needed.”
Lance Zierlein’s profile at NFL.com had him listed as the number four tackle gave him a 6.47 grade (Will Become Good Starter Within Two Years). He comments included:
“Ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game. Fautanu has starting experience at tackle and guard and is well-coached, but he will default to unruly hand-fighting when his technique gets away from him. He plays with average hand placement and can be beaten by length, but his tenacity and footwork keep him connected to base blocks. He’s capable of getting to reach blocks in zone and chaperoning running backs wide as a pulling guard on the next level. He’s a pop-and-reset pass puncher who uses active hands and feet to help with extended mirroring he’s forced into. Fautanu needs to prove he has the leverage and hand quickness to play inside, but all signs point toward him becoming a good future starter.”
Dane Brugler had him listed 9th overall on his Top 300 and in his draft guide, The Beast. He had him listed as the top guard in the draft.
“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. 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.”
CBSSports.com had Fautanu as their 23rd player on their board and also had him as the top interior offensive lineman this year. They summarized him saying:
“Troy Fautanu is a smaller, compact, quickness-based OT prospect with plus awareness and quality feet. He’s a quick setter. Clearly, he has to get stronger, as anchoring capabilities are not where they need to be. Because of power deficiency, he has to lean into his blocks, which makes it easier for DLs to get off him against the run. He’s further ahead as a pass protector right now, which isn’t the worst dynamic. Lateral quicks to follow inside moves into the pocket.
“Not enough sustained juice in his kick slide to get to speedy outside rushers. He may have a future at guard because he doesn’t possess a classic NFL OT frame. He’s very mobile and gets to the second level in a hurry, though he’s not very accurate finding LBs there. Grip strength must improve at the next level. Despite that, he has outstanding hand work; he swats down hands, constantly looking to reset his hands to control defenders. He’s very capable picking up stunts. Overall, the physical tools are there for Fautanu, but he has to get stronger and learn to get more depth/speed in his traditional pass-blocking sets.”
Our profile on Fautanu by Ross McCorkle gave him an 8.5 grade on our scale that equates to a future quality starter. He analyzed his play by saying:
“Fautanu has the athleticism and footwork to be an effective tackle, but his length could be an issue against bigger and lengthier defensive linemen. His arm-length measurements at the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine will be important to watch when it comes to his positional fit at the NFL level. His athleticism, footwork, and use of hands are good enough for Fautanu to be an NFL tackle while his ability to pull and block second-level defenders in space suggests he could be a successful guard.
“In a strong tackle class this year, Fautanu is among the best and figures to land somewhere in the late first or early second round. If teams view him as a guard, he could slide a little further. He is this year’s Peter Skoronski where teams could view him either way. Skoronski, for what it’s worth, ended up playing guard his rookie season.”
Overall, whether he was considered as a tackle or a guard he was very highly rated by all. Terms like “explosive,” “brawler” and “quality feet” he seems like a great fit for the Arthur Smith offense.
The value of this pick is very good and is a good start to the 2024 draft.
