INTRODUCTION
Yes, I’m still at my self-appointed spot as driver of the Graham Barton hype train, with a ticket to ride on JPJ’s. Mansfield to Webster to Dawson to Hartings to Pouncey. I want a center!
And no, I haven’t abandoned my station. But I have a rule against too much duplication in these mocks; I’ve chosen Barton at 1:20 already; I’m going to do it again in the future; and there is a prospect who actually fits the stereotypes people use in the Barton discussion. An equivalent Round 1 talent who spent most of 2022 and 2023 alongside Barton on the draft prognosticator lists like a sort of dual star, orbiting gravitational unit. That player is…
PICK 1:20 (#20 overall) – OL Troy Fautanu, Washington
Barton and Fautanu are both fantastic athletes who became All-American tackles in college despite their mutual lack of prototypical size. They belong to a class of O-linemen one sees every few years, with Peter Skoronski as a 2023 example, Alijah Vera-Tucker in 2021, and other examples going back in time. They always make for great and entertaining discussions, too:
Will athletic talent and skill overcome shortcomings in height, arm length, and wingspan? Or will the planet theory rule the day again in draftnik hearts and minds? Stay tuned for this year’s edition of “Tape Or Traits!”
How good is this pair as overall prospects? Put it this way: I suspect that most experts would name the three safest prospects in the entire draft as Troy Fautanu, Graham Barton, and Marvin Harrison Jr. They’ve shown every trait and every skill needed to build an NFL career, and they have impeccable hearts and smarts, with almost limitless ceilings for just the right situation. The primary difference is the box of “great prospect” that each young man will check. With Harrison, you know it cold: “Fan base, please say hi to your new WR1.” With Barton it’s more like, “80% chance he’s your soon-to-be-star center by the end of Year 1, with a 10% chance he’ll surprise us all in camp as a tackle, and another 10% chance he’ll end up starring at guard.”
Troy Fautanu went into the draft season with a penciled description more like Skoronski’s and AV-T’s: “Probably a great guard, but he could be a great center if he has the reflexes to snap the ball and play heads-up on a NT. No question about the football IQ. And don’t forget the same outside chance to stick in the pros as a tackle, particularly if something weird shows up.”
And then something weird did show up. Skoronski spent his rookie year at guard. AV-T did too but rotated out to tackle in Year 2 as his team’s answer to the injury bug. Barton has missed almost all of the pre-draft process due to injury, only now appearing to reclaim his expected spot as the No. 1 center. Fautanu showed up and… say what?!
Sure, he’s the same 6-4 that people expected, but he’s actually got crazy long 34½-inch arms?! Could he really stick at tackle after all? Enter the Senior Bowl, and a show of domination out on the edge. Enter the athletic testing. Oh, mama! Enter the NFL Scouting Combine drills. Drooool. Enter the scouting reports. “What a brilliant O-lineman! With that kind of length… yeah, I’m going to say he really can be an NFL tackle, especially if his team runs an outside zone attack.”
All very dramatic. But here’s the bottom line. One hour after Troy Fautanu gets drafted by the Steelers, Mike Tomlin will appear in public and say something that sounds a lot like this: “It’s too early to pencil in a position. We’ll let the young man compete, see what he’s got, get to know him in person, and then start to decide. In the end it’s all about getting our five best linemen on the field, and I’m confident that Troy Fautanu can learn to be one of them if he puts in the right kind of dedicated work…”
You know I’m right! And you know what else? It is also proper, accurate, and wise. That’s a phrase in the same category as, “We’re going to take this one game at a time…” A truism because it’s true.
The fan base and sports talk community will then go nuts. He’s going to be a tackle and oust Dan Moore Jr.!!! Look at how well he fits the Arthur Smith system!!! He’s doomed to be a guard, and the Steelers just destined us to mediocrity until the end of time!!! He’s got all it takes to be the next great center, snapping’s not all that hard, and they’ve just snuck in with an Heir To Pouncey!!! Blah blah blah.
The bottom line is that Mike T’s post-draft interview really is true, and that’s why this pick would be so good. Troy Fautanu will make the Steelers’ offensive line better, regardless of where he ends up. Pigeon-holing is for the birds. Add great athletes who are great offensive linemen, and it will all work out in the end.
| OL Troy Fautanu, Washington (RS Senior). 6-4, 317 lbs. with long 34½” arms and 9½” hands. 23, turns 24 in October. [Mtg. at Pro Day] Fautanu is a divisive prospect because he could be any of four things: (i) an undersized but super athletic OT who makes up for missing height with extra length; (ii) the perfect outside zone tackle prospect who is limited to that kind of system; (iii) an exceptional guard prospect with tackle flexibility for emergencies, or (iv) a brilliant, five-position OL who would make a great center too. If this sounds familiar, good, because Troy Fautanu and Graham Barton went into 2023 in lockstep, came out of 2023 in lockstep, and only began to separate during the draft process because injury prevented Barton from testing, and Fautanu turned out to have fantastic arm length, The differences? Fautanu played for a championship-level team while Barton played for Duke; Barton is 1⅜ inches taller; Fautanu has arms that are 1⅞ inches longer; Barton presents little to no risk if projected as a center; Fautanu is supposed to be center-capable but has not proven it on the field; Barton is probably the better technician, if only by a little; and the world has had a chance to see and marvel at Fautanu’s athleticism while Barton’s been hurt. The selling point from a Steelers POV? Who cares which position he ends up playing if he’s going to be a perennial Pro Bowler doing it? Project him as an outside zone OT to upgrade Moore? Great. Present him as an All-Pro center prospect who needs to sit for a year? Fine, he can play guard while Daniels or Seumalo moves inside for 2024 (which both have done in the past, if at a mediocre level). And if he turns out to “merely” be a DeCastro/Skoronski/Vera-Tucker level guard? Same thing. It’s a no-lose pick. ********** ********** Fautanu’s No. 1 asset is fundamental athleticism so good that he’s also played DL and used to be a competition volleyball player before adding 60 pounds of football strength. The numbers added up to a top 6% RAS held back only by bottom 1% height compared to the likes of Alt, Mims, and Latham. He’d be a 10.0 if you made him 6-7. Fautanu compensates (as a tackle) with excellent length he knows how to use, and frankly amazing movement skills. He put on an extraordinary display at the Combine, producing group comments like, “the most dynamic, explosive feet we’ve seen today” and the summary, “violent, explosive, and nasty.” Brandon Thorn’s late November scouting profile describes Fautanu as a “dynamic run-blocker… with very good athletic ability, quickness, power and length, [who is] a weapon the move… [and] extremely agile and quick in pass protection.” Ross McCorkle’s late January, gif-supported Depot scouting report (fringe 1st grade of 8.5) also admires everything to do with Fautanu’s native athleticism and movement skills and argues that he could succeed at tackle if his arms turn out to be long enough to compensate for his abject failure to be 6-4 instead of 6-7. [N.B. They did]. Daniel Jeremiah sees a very good OT prospect, having him at 16 overall in his initial Top 50, higher yet as the process moved on. Fautanu looked spectacular during the Combine field drills. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile, which ends in an early-1st grade basically identical to Fuaga and Barton, describes Fautanu in college as, “a ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game,” but he hasn’t looked like that raw during the draft process. The main challenge seems to be a habit of letting his center of gravity rise up due to getting tired and/or needing firmer habits – both very solvable. |
PICK 2:19 (# 51 overall) – WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
Here’s the board for Round 2:
| OT Patrick Paul | QB Michael Penix Jr. | ILB Edgerrin Cooper | CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. | WR Malachi Corley |
| OT Jordan Morgan | ILB Payton Wilson | CB Kamari Lassiter | WR Troy Franklin | |
| WR Xavier Legette | ||||
| WR Ricky Pearsall | ||||
| WR Ja’Lynn Polk | ||||
| WR Roman Wilson |
I’m a big Patrick Paul fan but not after selecting Fautanu in Round 1. I’m also a fan of Michael Penix Jr., but the Steelers already have two new QBs to break in, and there simply aren’t enough practice snaps to justify a QB pick this high. No there as well.
The ILBs and CBs are harder to dismiss. All four offer extremely good value at this point in the draft, and all four would definitely make the team better. Besides, I picked for the offense in Round 1, and that always slides a light finger onto the scale for the defense thereafter. But all the signs point toward a Round 2 WR, and there really is a dip once this group has gone. Why fight the current? WR it is.
But who should we pick? I listed six names above, but real life won’t oblige with that full selection. At least two of the six will most likely get picked before pick No. 51. It just isn’t clear which. So here’s what we’re going to do. Stop and pick your two favorites. They’re gone. Poof! No lucky breaks. For me that leaves a choice between Malachi Corley, Ricky Pearsall, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Roman Wilson. Let me pull out my lucky dice, and… Ja’Lynn Polk! Welcome to Pittsburgh.
What will he do here? Much the same thing as he did in college. Washington went to the CFP finals based on the arm of QB Michael Penix Jr., with Rome Odunze (a top-10 lock) as the WR1, Ja’Lynn Polk as the WR2, and the underrated Jalen Williams as the WR3. “Cover whoever you want. The others are going to kill you.” And they did. Polk was a phenomenal WR2, and he should be here as well. Never forget that Robin was a superhero too.
| WR Ja’Lynn (“JAY-lin”) Polk, Washington (RS Junior). 6-1⅜, 203 lbs. with 31¾-inch arms and 9¾-inch hands. Turns 22 on April 11. Polk has every trait you want except elite, bursty COD quickness (9.46 RAS overall), and he is a fine route runner. He doesn’t have elite speed either, though what he has is still better than average and his acceleration is special. Part of his college success must go to fellow WR Rome Odunze, and more to QB Michael Penix Jr.’s ability to routinely hit him in stride, but Polk contributed too by getting NFL-open much of the time, and by winning most of his combat catches. His combination of size, body control, and hands of glue are awfully hard to beat. He is also smart enough to beat zones, and obviously knows how to build chemistry with his QB. It adds up to a formidable move-the-chains prospect who will burn defenses deep if they ignore that part of his game. Polk’s also known to be a tough and physical opponent who is so devoted to football that he routinely brought an air mattress to the building so he could sleep over. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2 grade of 8.1) says Polk “possesses good size … plays even bigger at the catchpoint [due to his body control and hands] and adds subtle route running to the equation.” He ends with a comparison to the Bengals’ Tyler Boyd and this summary: “[Polk] isn’t a freak athlete when it comes to rare burst or quickness, but he’s a reliable receiver who can make the tough catches on possession downs that you want in a WR 2/3.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 3-ish grade) complains about a lack of “ideal suddenness getting in and out of his breaks as a route runner.” |
PICK 3:20 (# 84 overall) – CB Max Melton, Rutgers
Two picks for the offense, so it’s time to throw Teryl Austin a bone. For me that almost has to be a defensive tackle or a cornerback. The only three DT/DE prospects who’d interest me are Ruke Orhorhoro, Kris Jenkins, and Maason Smith. Poof! They were all picked in the 50-75 range where they belong. That leaves the following targets to choose from, which amounts to every CB on our Big Board with a grade at 3:01 or 3:12.
| Primarily Slot | Primarily Boundary |
| CB Mike Sainristil (GONE) | CB Renardo Green |
| CB Kris Abrams-Draine | CB Kamal Hadden |
| CB Caelen Carson | CB Cam Hart |
| CB Andru Phillips | CB Khyree Jackson |
| CB Max Melton | CB T.J. Tampa |
That’s quite a selection! Too bad Mike Sainristil, everyone’s favorite, has already been picked… And too bad that Alex Kozora just chose my No. 2 slot guy, Andru Phillips, in his mock from earlier in the week. We can go down the different virtues and advantages in the comments section, but let’s cut to the chase. I prefer to get a slot corner here because the team clearly likes Donte Jackson, and I want to see how Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush mature. My Slot CB3 is Max Melton, so that closes the deal.
| Slot CB Max Melton, Rutgers (RS Junior). 5-11⅛, 187 lbs. with 32⅛” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turns 22 on April 15. His brother Bo plays WR for the Packers. Max Melton is a physical defender equally comfortable in the slot and on the boundary. He’s quite solid in press coverage, but the list of assets and issues suggest he could grow to be even better in off and zone coverages, where he also has good experience. Decent hands. An honest-to-God, safety-level tackler in run support, Melton takes pride in playing special teams. The issues go to his long speed (answered completely by his 4.39 at the Combine), and to some technical issues like losing COD when he lets his center of gravity rise. The overall RAS was 9.58, held back significantly by height and weight. There is a lot of inconsistency to coach up. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade of 7.6) uses the word “feisty,” which seems to catch the essence. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile calls Melton, a “versatile inside/outside cornerback who displayed improvement every year,” who is “adequate from press… [but is] at his best when playing with his eyes forward from zone and searching for clues to jump in and make plays on the football. The ball skills can flip the field, and he’s very aggressive in collapsing the catch point.” |
3:35 (# 98 overall) – T/G/TEAMS Caedan Wallace or C/G/TEAMS Hunter Nourzad, (both from Penn State)
Wait one second, Pavelle. “Or?” The Steelers are going to hand in a card with “or?!” How is that fair?
Hey! It’s my mock so I get to cheat. And the real point is this: where do you think Troy Fautanu is going to end up? If you project Fautanu as a tackle-in-waiting, the team will need (a) need a veteran center for at least half of 2024 and (b) a developmental center to learn behind that veteran. If you instead project the Round 1 pick as a center-in-waiting, the team will need (i) that same veteran center for the first several weeks of 2024, and (ii) a developmental OT3 to learn behind and challenge Dan Moore Jr.
Either way the team can benefit from a double dip on the OL, and I personally think that both of these young men are sleepers who deserve some extra attention. Both are well worth a Round 3 compensatory pick like this one.
The case for Caedan Wallace comes down to familiarity (he’s best friends with Joey Porter Jr.), his fit as an outside zone tackle, and his T/G flexibility. That last will give him extra value during his apprenticeship years. The case for Hunter Nourzad comes down to his experience at center, Lance Zierlein’s eye-popping endorsement, and his C/G flexibility for the same kind of broad scale, quality depth. Neither prospect is “starter-ready,” but I don’t expect that from Round 1 picks, let alone Round 3. I see both beginning to challenge for snaps around the end of 2024, and from 2025 on, with “valuable backup” floors all along.
P.S. Both Nourzad and Wallace offer a sneaky extra as well: they may have the next-level athleticism to contribute as size XL special teamers. More on that below.
| T/G Caedan Wallace, Penn St. (RS Senior). 6-4⅞, 314 lbs. with 34-inch arms and 10¾-inch hands. Is 23. Best friends with Joey Porter Jr. after being his roommate for three years. Guaranteed to be a fan of Thomas Sweets ice cream since he is a huge young man who grew up in Princeton, and it’s some of the best I know. Dark chocolate and mystic mints blend-in, mmmmmm. [Sorry. I had a moment there.] Wallace has quick feet and good movement skills to pull and catch defenders out in space. Better at positional blocking that uses his movement skill and general athletic talent (RAS of 8.20). May fit particularly well in the outside zone running attack favored by Arthur Smith. Wallace has improved every year but needs to keep doing so, as he tends to be a waist-bender and head-ducker, which gets him beat around the edge. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 3-ish grade of 6.23) calls Wallace “a clock-puncher who plays with better fundamentals and technique than his highly regarded teammate, Olu Fashanu.” High floor, moderate ceiling. Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade of 7.6) describes Wallace as a good run blocker and technically inconsistent pass protector who “shouldn’t be asked to start right away but has a lot of upside to be a productive RT at the next level.” |
| C/G Hunter Nourzad, Penn St. by way of Cornell (RS Senior). 6-2¾, 319 lbs. with 32¾-inch arms and big 10⅝-inch hands. 23, turns 24 in November. Credit to Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5 grade of 6.7) for this good-looking option. Nourzad played RT while he was at Cornell, then guard (2022) and center (2023) during his two years at Penn State. “As a pass blocker, he has good snap quickness, balance, and pad level [with] solid punch placement, [active and strong] hands, [and] good play strength and good anchor to subdue [power] rushers… As a run blocker, he has experience in zone and power schemes, [is fundamentally sound]… and flashed the quickness to execute reach blocks.” The weights on his stock come down to inexperience and difficulty dealing with the things that only experience can teach: stunts, twists, good swim moves, exceptional quickness, etc. Nourzad came in as the OC3 in Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 3-ish grade of 6.26) behind only Graham Barton, the clear No. 1 (6.46 = a solid starter within two years), and Jackson Powers-Johnson as the clear No. 2 (6.34 = eventually a plus-starter). “Nourzad has the feel and footwork for all run-blocking schemes and is strong enough to deal with a 0-technique lined up over him.” |
PICK 4:19 (# 119 overall) – TEAMS/ILB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri by way of Florida
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. That’s Ty’Ron Hopper. A hair-on-fire, devil-may-care, special teams demon with his pitchfork loaded for return men foolish enough to challenge his zone. He’s also got enough developed skills to contribute in sub-packages and enough native talent to dream of maturing into a starting ILB who could play alongside Patrick Queen.
Readers who spend excessive amounts of time on simulator boards may wonder if this isn’t “too early” for the Hopper pick. I respectfully disagree because the new kickoff rules are about to triple the importance of special teams play. The new rules suggest that (a) kickoffs are going to win and lose a lot of games in 2024, and (b) the structure of the new play will require an interesting mix of size, speed, tackling, and blocking ability. That means the interview door for nominal ILBs, SAFs, and other mid-sized players with a Danny Smith-ish attitude is wiiiide open. Enter Ty’Ron Hopper, Pittsburgh Steeler.
| ILB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri by way of Florida (RS Senior). 6-1¾, 231 lbs. with 31⅜” arms and 8¾” hands. Turns 23 on draft Friday. Team captain. Ty’Ron Hopper is a rangy, sideline to sideline Mack ILB with good coverage chops, a nonstop motor, and an overwhelming desire to deliver hits. Got your attention yet? Those assets lead to his flaws as well. He needs to add some play strength, because offensive linemen who get in the way will stay in his way, and he needs to build professional levels of discipline to stop missing the tackles his assets put in his path. The problems one sees all seem to involve the same scenario Ty’Ron Hopper he flies across the field. Ty’Ron Hopper throws his entire being into making the play. And then Ty’Ron Hopper sometimes misses because he flew right by, or failed to get past a blocker in the way. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonas Wedlich (Round 5 grade of 6.7) identifies tackling as by far the biggest problem in Hopper’s profile. Note that Hopper should be a fine special teams player no matter what, since he won’t have to deal with those OLs, and Danny Smith is the sort of drillmaster Hopper probably needs. . The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein sees Hopper as a Round 4-6 prospect “with length, speed and agility, [but lacking in field vision and instincts… There are holes in his game that can be exploited, but he has traits and should get a chance as an NFL backup with special teams value.” This goes to a brief but decent, Raiders-oriented scouting profile. Testing showed a good overall athlete (RAS of 7.36) who excels when it comes to explosiveness but has some issues with agility. |
NOTE: Just for the record, my true target here would have been ILB Tommy Eichenberg, who profiles as an even better special teams ace. I remember when Tyler Matakevich came out, and the two prospects sound eerily the same when it comes to tackling, glass eating, and other essentials for a Danny Smith room. That would have been too easy, however, and readers will know Eichenberg fairly well already. This way I get to have my cake and introduce a new one too. [Laughs].
Also considered: ILB Tommy Eichenberg (already picked), ILB Trevin Wallace, ILB Curtis Jacobs, S/ILB James Williams, S Malik Mustapha, S Evan Williams, etc.
PICK 6:02 (# 178 overall) – WR/TEAMS Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
This time I’d like to circle back around to an old favorite who seems to have unjustly vanished from consideration. The world of simulator vogue wants to relegate Ainias Smith down to late in Day 3? Fine. Their loss is our team’s gain.
Look, I love the kid, but even I will admit that Ainias Smith’s lack of height makes him an unlikely fit as WR2 in Pittsburgh’s new offense. Especially with the addition of a prospect like Ja’Lynn Polk in Round 2. But this is another case where the bonus points add up to serious value from a Steelers POV.
Cordarrelle Patterson may well be the best kick returner in history, but he’s never been as good on punts. Ainias Smith excels as a punt returner. The new kickoff rules seem to require two return men rather than only one. Smith can do that too; he may be short, but he’s built like a fire hydrant and is more than ready to take on LBs or DTs if that’s what the team requires. You won’t find a better blocking assistant for Patterson on returns. Same for the other side of special teams, where it’s easy to see Smith as an undersized but ferocious gunner. Check. Locker room champion? Check. Tough guy in the WR room? Check.
Pick for this mock draft? Check, check, and check again.
| WR Ainias Smith, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 5-9⅜, 190 lbs. with 29¼-inch arms and 8½-inch hands. Turns 23 in May. Team captain. Ainias Smith plays like an unusually short but very solid punt returner who studied Hines Ward for inspiration when it comes to blocking, fiery demeanor, and doing all the little extras to help his team win. He ended his college career with a pass caught in 36 consecutive games. His style is built on very good agility, power, and speed. The weaknesses amount to merely professional speed, limited size (which shows in play strength), and the fact that he isn’t an acrobat in the air or the next Barry Sanders on the ground. Yin and yang. Toughness… the toughness and team-first attitudes are off the charts. The new kickoff rules require two return men for each play, and Smith would make a great No. 2 across from Cordarrelle Patterson. This late-January scouting profile has a good summary: “Ainias Smith is an electric playmaker [and return man] with the versatility to align all over the formation… A nightmare to cover in man… a mature and nuanced route-runner but lacking the hips to snap off routes and explosion to threaten more experienced corners. Natural hands… and isn’t afraid to go over the middle.” This PFN scouting profile is the one that got me excited: “A coach’s dream (does ALL the dirty work… Willing run blocker against LARGE humans… Experience at both WR and RB… [and even a] very willing pass protector.” Oh yes. Please, yes. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 4-5 grade) says Smith is “a possession slot… with a somewhat unusual blend of elusiveness and power… who can run more complicated routes underneath while also offering the courage to work successfully into the middle of the field.” In the weaknesses section, Zierlein notes that Smith “appeared to be missing his second gear in 2023 after recovering from a fractured leg suffered in 2022… but started looking more like himself later in the season.” Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade of 7.4) ends with player comps to the likes of Christian Kirk and Skyy Moore “as a route runner, plus the general toughness he displays… players who have clearly defined roles in the NFL but could contribute right away in multiple ways to a team.” Including the locker- and WR rooms, which really does matter. |
PICK 6:19 (# 195 overall) – TEAMS/SS/RB Sione Vaki, Utah
See above. Vaki has the native ability to evolve into a starter if things go just exactly right, but I’m not picking him with just that chance in mind. He’s another young man who’s sure to be a special teams standout, with enough left over to fight for a roster spot job of sub-package snaps, gadget snaps, and emergency RB depth.
| SS/RB Sione Vaki, Utah (RS Soph). 5-11⅜, 211 lbs. with 29½” arms and 9¼” hands. Is 22. A dual-threat weapon at both S and RB, he should probably have returned to school for another year in order to hone his skills as a defender. Starting for a single year just was not enough. That said, he is fast, tough, and obviously versatile enough to be a very intriguing ball of clay for a team that has the patience to see where he fits best and help him to learn that spot. Guaranteed to be a special teams demon. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6 grade of 6.5) could be summed up as, “Great athleticism that could eventually be harnessed more with experience.” With “could” and “eventually” being the key words from a draft perspective. Compiled a 7.85 RAS when measured as a strong safety, with elite explosion numbers. |
Also considered: a run stuffing, rotational puzzle piece such as DT/DE Jaden Crumedy.
CONCLUSION
I went into this mock with three objectives. First, I wanted to come at the O-line discussion from a different angle. What would happen if the team ignored labels and instead focused on finding a good, athletic, technically sound, and versatile offensive lineman who isn’t named Graham Barton? That’s Troy Fautanu in a nutshell. I personally want to see the team pick a center and prefer Barton because he’s a safer bet on that front, but the bottom line is that both young men possess any year, every year Round 1 talent, and both would be fantastic building blocks for the Steelers’ OL of the future.
Second, I wanted to emphasize special teams value during all of Day 3 in light of the new kickoff rules. In the event, I’ve probably managed to do it with the Round 3b pick as well. We’ve only begun to consider the impact of those new rules, but I think they’re going to have a profound and continuing effect. Kickoffs are just plain fun and inject an element of earned randomness back into the game. Games are going to be won and lost more than ever by special teams contributions. Fans will love the change, and the NFL will move to make it permanent. Mark my word.
And third, I wanted to follow up the Troy Fautanu pick with a set of options that would assume no steals and remove the known fan favorites off the board. That pretty much killed the “dream draft scenario” from the word go, but I think we’ve still managed to make the team better across the board.
This is the sort of draft likely to shine even brighter in 2027 than it will in the spring of 2024. Fautanu’s going to end up being a star, whether it be as the next great tackle, a true heir to DeCastro, or an outside zone tackle who will make Arthur Smith look like a genius. Of that, I’m sure. Ja’Lynn Polk probably won’t be a star, but fans are going to love him for all the little things he’ll add. And foes will both respect and fear his ability to move the chains. And Max Melton will be a tremendous puzzle piece for the sub-package defensive looks.
After that we get quality depth for the OL, and then a trio of special teams demons who can double as ILB depth, WR depth, and box S/emergency RB. You can cry all you want, but Danny Smith is going to love me forever, and the unit he will build with these tools is going to win one extra game in 2024 while saving another.
1:20 (#20 overall) – OL Troy Fautanu, Washington
2:19 (# 51 overall) – WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
3:20 (# 84 overall) – CB Max Melton, Rutgers
3:35 (# 98 overall) – T/G/TEAMS Caedan Wallace or C/G/TEAMS Hunter Nourzad, (both from Penn State)
4:19 (# 119 overall) – TEAMS/ILB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri by way of Florida
6:02 (# 178 overall) – WR/RETURNER Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
6:19 (# 195 overall) – TEAMS/SS/RB Sione Vaki, Utah
