As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the NFL Draft, it seems there is a school from the Pac-12 that is of particular interest to them.
The University of Washington hosted their Pro Day on March 29 and a couple of the school’s players appear to have left an impression on the Steelers.
The one that is more likely to grab headlines is quarterback Michael Penix Jr. It was reported that he is set for a visit with the Steelers after he showed off surprising athleticism at his Pro Day.
However, there is another Husky that got the attention of the Steelers and is a more realistic option to be their first round pick.
Offensive tackle Troy Fautanu also impressed at the Washington Pro Day and looks like he is a player the Steelers were interested even before his Pro Day performance.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Steelers were one of the teams that had a private meeting with Fautanu before his Pro Day.
Fautanu’s Impressive Career at Washington
Fautanu’s college football career took a while to really get off the ground. He redshirted in his first year at Washington and played in just four games the next year.
It took until his fourth year for Fautanu to become a regular starter.
Once he secured his spot as a starter, Fautanu began to make an impact.
During the 2022 season, Fautanu didn’t allow a single sack in 13 games. That earned him All-Pac 12 Second Team Honors.
In 2023 he racked up even more accolades. In hs final year at Washington, Fautanu allowed only 2 sacks and 18 hurries in 15 games despite playing against some of the nation’s best pass rushes on the way to finishing as the runners up in the College Football Playoff.
His performance throughout the season led to him helped him jump up to the All-Pac 12 First Team and also earned him the Morris Trophy as the conference’s best offensive lineman.
His play over the last two years has made him one of the top prospects at his position despite actually being one of the smaller options at tackle.
He should come off the board before the end of the first round and would fill a major need for the Steelers if they decided to take him at 20th overall.
Steelers’ O-Line Needs
While the Steelers have been busy addressing needs across the rest of the roster throughout this offseason, the offensive line has been neglected.
Right now, the team doesn’t actually have a starting center after cutting Mason Cole.
They also badly need a new tackle on one side of the line after Dan Moore Jr. struggled in 2023.
That new lineman could come on either side of the line because Broderick Jones spent his rookie season playing right tackle, but was actually drafted to be a left tackle.
At this point in the offseason, there aren’t many options out there who could fix this issue in free agency unless the Steelers are willing to gamble.
That should lead them to drafting a tackle tackle in the first round.
Oddsmakers believe that pick is going to be used somewhere on the line as “offensive lineman” is currently listed at -140 to be the first position selected by the Steelers on DraftKings Sportsbook.
If the spot on the line they decide to fill is tackle, then Fautanu is one of many good options that could be available.
Drafting him would keep Jones at right tackle, but he would definitely be an upgrade over Moore.
With the draft less than a month away,
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