Missing on a first-round pick can mess up a team’s future. Whether it’s the first overall pick or the 32nd, general managers don’t want to miss. So when a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers can get some insider information, they can’t pass it up. That’s exactly what happened with the 20th overall pick on Thursday when they took OT Troy Fautanu from Washington. They had some extra insight thanks to area scout and former first-round pick Mark Bruener.
When team owner Art Rooney II introduced Fautanu at Friday’s press conference, Rooney name-dropped Breuner with video via the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
“We had some inside information on Troy this year because his teammate was Mark Bruener’s son,” Rooney said. “So great to have Mark share some thoughts. And little coincidence there, is the last person we picked in the first round from Washington was Mark. And so now we’re bringing Troy here from Washington.”
Bruener’s son, Carson, plays linebacker for the Huskies. So he had some experience practicing against Fautanu. That has to be valuable information that gets layered on top of game film. This wasn’t the only homework the Steelers did, but it had to add some additional depth to their scouting efforts.
The Steelers did attend Washington’s Pro Day in the form of offensive line coach Pat Meyer. However, neither head coach Mike Tomlin nor general manager Omar Khan were present. Obviously, the information from Meyer and the scouting staff was enough for the Steelers to abandon their streak of first-round picks coming from schools where Tomlin and the team’s GM attended Pro Days.
Regardless, it’s a full-circle moment for the Steelers and Bruener. The Steelers selected Bruener 27th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played nine years with the Steelers before spending the final five years of his career in Houston with the Texans.
Meanwhile, Fautanu grew up a Steelers fan and now gets to play for his favorite NFL team. And part of that process comes courtesy of a former Washington and Steelers player-turned-scout.
