The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Washington OL Troy Fautanu with the 20th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and the team plans to use Fautanu at tackle, the position that he played in college.
Breaking down his tape after the pick, NFL Draft expert Lance Zierlein believes that if the Steelers use Fautanu at right tackle, he’ll be a “mauler-brawler” for the team for years to come.
“I think they’re gonna swing him to right tackle, bring Broderick over to the right side is my guess. And if that happens, I think they’ve got a mauler-brawler for years to come. He is a very physical run blocker, but what he gives you is that old school Steeler toughness. It’s been missing for awhile from the offensive line where they can just get downhill on you, pound the rock. This is your first chance to go back to old school Steeler football, I mean in a long, long time,” Zierlein said.
He said the Steelers give themselves a “real chance” to build a good offensive line with Fautanu joining Broderick Jones at tackle. The Steelers have prioritized building up their offensive line in recent years, drafting Jones last season and Fautanu this year while adding Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels in free agency over the past few seasons. As a whole, the Steelers can get back to being a ground-and-pound team and bring that toughness back to Pittsburgh.
The idea of being a tough, run-heavy team also goes back to the fact that the team added Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator this offseason, and he can help the Steelers get back to having a bunch of tough guys on the line who will help the team win on the ground. Adding someone like Fautanu who isn’t afraid to be physical and get aggressive is going to help the Steelers form the core of their line and potentially two bookend tackles for years to come with Jones and Fautanu.
The Steelers seem to be content using Fautanu at tackle, not afraid of his measurables as he’s a little bit under 6’4, but his arm length is suitable to play tackle. There’s nothing wrong with having another mauling, physical offensive tackle as a run blocker, as that’s an area where Jones also excels and the Steelers run game took off with Jones entering the starting lineup in Week Nine last season.
We’ll get to see Fautanu in action for the first time at rookie minicamp in two weeks, and we’ll see how the Steelers bring him along, but there’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to Fautanu and his fit on Pittsburgh’s offensive line.
