Steelers select Troy Fautanu No. 20 overall: Instant analysis and grade
After an impressive amount of build up, the Steelers made their first selection in the 2024 Draft by selecting Troy Fautanu
By Andrew Falce
After months of speculation, the Steelers pick is officially in, as they have selected Troy Fautanu at pick 20 overall. Instead of moving around in the first round, as many fans expected this team to do, they stood pat and got their guy.
The first round saw a lot of offense fly off the board. Some of those names, like the top quarterbacks, were expected to go before the Steelers pick. However, six of them getting drafted in the first dozen picks was a shock. The offensive linemen and receivers were also invested in early, but the board broke well for Pittsburgh. Even though mock draft favorite Amarius Mims went off the board two spots before they could pick, there were still a ton of available names.
The Steelers pick was a shocker
The Steelers entered this draft needing a starting center and receiver. They also have some major question marks at cornerback and tackle, and this draft has a surplus of talent at those positions. Their predraft interests were focused on linemen and cornerbacks, making the selection of Fautanu logical on the surface.
The selection of Fautanu does come as a surprise. On the shorter side for a tackle, most are expecting him to move to the interior despite his length being good enough to stick at tackle. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan didn’t attend his Pro Day either, snapping a long history when considering Steelers first-round picks.
I would guess that Fautanu gets his shot at tackle first. It would be a small surprise to see him stick there given the historical trends for the position. Could he switch to center? I don’t think that can be ruled out.
Next. Most likely Steelers center target by round of the NFL Draft. Most likely Steelers center target by round of the NFL Draft. dark
Time will tell if this was the right move, but you have to be happy with the Steelers continuing to address their trenches. Fautanu has some questions as to where he will play, but he has everything you want in a blocker up in the front. Now we will have to wait until day two to see what other needs are addressed.