By all accounts, the Pittsburgh Steelers landed one of the best players in the 2024 NFL Draft in the first round last Thursday in Washington’s Troy Fautanu.
Despite questions about his height and overall true fit in the NFL, whether that was kicking inside to guard or center, or staying at tackle, the consensus was he was one of the best players in the draft.
And at least one NFL executive agrees.
“Fautanu was one of my favorite players in the entire draft,” an anonymous NFL executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Personality, work ethic, skill set, versatility — he has it all.”
Coming into the draft, Fautanu was ranked No. 17 overall on the consensus big board from Wide Left’s Arif Hasan. He was the fourth lineman overall on the consensus big board, too, yet he was the sixth lineman off the board on draft day, behind Joe Alt (Chargers), JC Latham (Titans), Olu Fashanu (Jets), Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals).
That played out in the Steelers’ favor as they landed a guy they had coveted.
While many believe he’d be better suited kicking inside to guard, the Steelers are keeping him at tackle and are banking on those traits that the executive outlined helping him succeed at the position.
Fautanu brings that nasty, physical edge to the offensive line. He’s a player who plays through the whistle and looks to bury his defender every chance he gets. It’s all over his tape. The strength is eye-opening in those situations.
The versatility is huge, too. Leading up to the NFL Draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote that Fautanu has five-position versatility, including center, which wasn’t believed until Brugler reported it. So, even if he struggles at tackle, there is always the possibility of kicking inside to guard and solidifying that position for Pittsburgh moving forward.
His selection might not have been the flashiest one in the first round, but it sure was a good one for the Steelers. They landed a guy who looks and feels like a Steeler, all while being at a position of need.
Fautanu might have been that executive’s favorite player in the draft; we’ll truly never know who the executive was or how he had players ranked. But there is a great chance that Fautanu becomes a fan favorite in Pittsburgh based on his play style and personality.
It already seems to be starting.
