The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Washington OT Troy Fautanu with the 20th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Several tackles were taken ahead of him in the draft, and the position was starting to run thin, but the Steelers stuck with their pick and selected Fautanu. Because of the number of tackles taken ahead of him, it would be reasonable to wonder if this was a reach, but GM Omar Khan shut down any possible speculation in his press conference on the Steelers YouTube page following the pick.
“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.”
The Steelers view him as a tackle, despite many wondering if he needs to kick inside to guard because of his 6036, 317-pound frame. For what he lacks in height, he makes up for 34 1/2-inch arms which should be plenty sufficient to continue playing tackle at the NFL level.
“I would say that he was a player that we had rated really high up on the board, and he was one of the guys that we were hoping would be there and that we were targeting,” Khan said. “We just felt really good about it.” He’s the player we wanted.”
Fautanu himself chimed into the debate over whether he is a tackle or an interior offensive linemen, calling it “lazy analysis” to suggest he is anything other than a tackle. You can’t really blame him, winning the Morris Trophy in 2023 given to the Pac-12’s top offensive linemen.
I will admit that when I wrote up his scouting report in January, prior to any official measurements, I questioned his length and the possibility of him kicking inside to guard or even center. When his arm length came out, that made it much more likely that he maintains his position at tackle.
Mike Tomlin shut down any talk of moving him in, and stated that they view him as a tackle.
There were several other great players left on the board including all of the centers, all of the cornerbacks, and WR Brian Thomas Jr. So if you don’t believe Khan saying they were high on Fautanu, just look at the talents they left on the board.
