Throughout the pre-draft process, the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown quite a bit of interest in Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, who is considered one of the best linemen in a deep, talented rookie class set to enter the NFL.
So, too, have a number of teams, including a handful of ones surrounding the Steelers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fautanu is conducting his final pre-draft visit with the New York Jets today and has previously met with the Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles.
Fautanu visited the Steelers on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The interest in him has been there all offseason. Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer attended the Washington Pro Day and put Fautanu through position drills. The Steelers also met with Fautanu and his family privately prior to the Pro Day.
Then, Fautanu was hosted at the Steelers’ South Side facility for an official pre-draft visit, marking the sixth offensive tackle and 11th lineman overall to meet with the Steelers on an official visit.
Though his size has been in question throughout the pre-draft process regarding his ability to stick at left tackle, Fautanu measured in at 6036, 317 pounds with 34 1/2-inch arms at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. During his time in college, Fautanu largely played left tackle. However, he also saw time at left guard and has been projected as a center in the NFL by some.
While the interest is very clearly there from the Steelers’ perspective, Pittsburgh will have plenty of competition for Fautanu in the first round. The Jets have a glaring need at offensive tackle in front of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and hold the No. 10 overall pick. Jacksonville has a need along the offensive line, too, and sits at No. 17 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati, holding the No. 18 pick, could continue to address the offensive line and slide Fautanu inside to guard to better protect Joe Burrow moving forward. The Eagles (No. 22) and Ravens (No. 30) pick behind the Steelers currently, but they could be aggressive to move up for one of the top linemen in the class like Fautanu.
It’s not a surprise overall that the Bengals and Ravens are interested in the former Huskies standout. He plays with a real edge, is an outstanding run blocker and would fit well into the AFC North style of play. That’s in part why the Steelers are likely interested, too.
Though the attention seems to be centered on Duke’s Graham Barton and Georgia’s Amarius Mims for the Steelers in the first round, Fautanu is a name that should be near the top of the board, too. He’s likely there for a number of teams in front of Pittsburgh as well, which should create some competition for him.
