With the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers turned a longtime fan’s dream into reality, selecting Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu.
Fautanu was one of the Steelers’ final predraft visits, and while visiting the Southside facility, posted an Instagram picture with the caption “Dreams turn reality.”
The Washington product grew up wearing former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu’s No. 43 jersey and now becomes the latest Samoan player named Troy to wear the Black and Gold.
Fautanu playing for his favorite childhood team is a great story, but more importantly, he allows Pittsburgh to move its 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones, back to his primary position of left tackle.
Jones spent his rookie season at right tackle, while Dan Moore Jr. allowed eight sacks on the left side. Fautanu will prevent that from happening again.
The 23-year-old did play on the left side at Washington, but his quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., is a left-handed thrower. That is why many believe he should be able to transition to the right side.
Some question if Fautanu should bump inside as well as he stands at 6-foot-4, 317 pounds, but head coach Mike Tomlin is not among those, at least as of now.
“Right now he’s a tackle,” Tomlin said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “We legitimately see him as a tackle.”
Fautanu proved he could play on the outside at Washington, giving up just three sacks in his college career despite playing 1,255 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
The Steelers’ selection of Fautanu also marks the first time in franchise history they have drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in back-to-back years.
General manager Omar Khan believes that just signifies the type of team they want to be.
“I’ve said it from the beginning, the offensive line, defensive line, those are big priorities — the big men, and that’s where it starts, right,” Khan said. “We want to be a physical football team, and it’s got to start up there.”
