The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t imagine a scenario in which Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu was still on the board at No. 20. When he was, they jumped at the chance to grab him. That’s what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has gathered throughout his post-draft reporting, summing up the Steelers’ decisions to go all-in on o-line in the first two rounds of last month’s draft.
“The Steelers thought Troy Fautanu could go as high as No. 10 to the Jets and didn’t expect him to fall,” Fowler wrote Tuesday morning. “GM Omar Khan worked the phones just in case, before Fautanu fell to the Steelers at No. 20. Georgia tackle Amarius Mims, who went to Cincinnati at No. 18, was firmly on Pittsburgh’s radar, too.”
Khan had previously hinted at considering trading up for Fautanu. And Fautanu told the amusing story of the Steelers calling him before they were on the clock to see if other teams were moving up for him. But he fell past his top 10-15 projection and into the Steelers’ lap. The Jets went tackle in the first round but selected Penn State’s Olu Fashanu — they traded back one spot to do so — considered among the best pass protectors in the draft.
One of the heaviest quarterback classes in draft history helped push Fautanu down. Six went in the top 12 picks, an NFL record, and several other tackles were selected ahead of him. That includes Mims, in whom the Steelers expressed interest throughout the pre-draft process and would’ve been a seamless fit on the right side, pushing Broderick Jones back to left tackle. One of the class’ most polarizing prospects, Mims brings size and upside but a lack of experience made him a risk.
Ultimately, the board again broke well for Pittsburgh in the top rounds. After snagging Fautanu in the first, West Virginia center Zach Frazier fell to them in the second. Fowler says Khan and company did their homework to feel confident he would be there at No. 51.
“Toward the end of the first round, Pittsburgh had identified West Virginia center Zach Frazier as a viable option at No. 51 and did some recon work to figure out whether he would be available at the pick.”
As is often the case, centers fall in the draft. Pittsburgh stood ahead of center-needy teams like the Dallas Cowboys, allowing them to sit and let Frazier fall to them. He should step in as the team’s Week 1 center and make an immediate impact as the Steelers made more upgrades to fortify their offensive line.
