The Steelers use their first-round pick to turn ‘dreams into reality’.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, fulfilling a long-held fan wish. Fautanu was one of the Steelers’ final predraft visits, and while at the Southside facility, he shared an Instagram photo with the words “Dreams turn reality.”
The Washington native grew up loving former Steelers safety Troy Polamalu’s No. 43 jersey and is now the latest Samoan athlete named Troy to wear the Black and Gold. Fautanu playing for his favorite childhood club is an exciting story, but more significantly, he allows Pittsburgh to return Broderick Jones, its 2023 first-round pick, to his primary position of left tackle. Jones spent his debut season at right tackle, while Dan Moore Jr. gave up eight sacks on the left side. Fautanu will keep this from happening again.
The 23-year-old played on the left side at Washington, but his quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., throws left-handed. That is why many people believe he should be permitted to go to the right side. Some ask whether Fautanu, who measures 6-foot-4 and weighs 317 pounds, should also move inside, but head coach Mike Tomlin is not one of them, at least for the time being. “Right now, he’s a tackle,” Tomlin told Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “We legitimately see him as a tackle.”
Fautanu demonstrated his ability to play on the outside at Washington, allowing only three sacks in his college career despite 1,255 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The Steelers’ selection of Fautanu is also the first time in franchise history that they have drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in consecutive years. General manager Omar Khan says this simply reflects the type of squad they want to be.
I’ve stated it from the start: the offensive and defensive lines are top priority – the big men, and that’s where it all begins,” Khan added. “We want to be a physical football team, and it’s got to start up there.”