Pittsburgh Steelers select Troy Fautanu in first round of 2024 NFL Draft

One of the biggest keys to Washington’s 2023 national title game run was the offensive line. That unit won the Joe Moore Award as the best in the nation, and Troy Fautanu was a crucial piece.

Now, he’s heard his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Fautanu as the No. X overall pick in the X round of the draft. He put together a standout season for UW in 2023, becoming a first-team All-Pac-12 selection to help the Huskies make it to the national championship in Kalen DeBoer’s second season as head coach.

Fautanu started all 15 games for Washington in 2023 as part of an offensive line that protected quarterback Michael Penix Jr., another NFL hopeful who also became a Heisman Trophy finalist. As a group, the Huskies’ unit allowed just 12 sacks, which ranked tied for the sixth-best figure in college football this past season.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Fautanu also put on a show with his workouts. He ran a 5.01 official 40-yard dash, which ranked eighth among the 49 offensive linemen who participated in the event, and he became one of the highest-graded offensive linemen on the board.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Troy Fautanu

Fautanu impressed at left tackle for Washington over the last two seasons, but he also started three games at guard throughout his college career. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said there are still questions about how effective he can be on the interior at the professional level.

That said, Fautanu’s tape shows he’s a capable option at left tackle, although he has some tendencies to address once he gets to the NFL.

“Ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game,” Zierlein wrote. “Fautanu has starting experience at tackle and guard and is well-coached, but he will default to unruly hand-fighting when his technique gets away from him. He plays with average hand placement and can be beaten by length, but his tenacity and footwork keep him connected to base blocks. He’s capable of getting to reach blocks in zone and chaperoning running backs wide as a pulling guard on the next level.

“He’s a pop-and-reset pass puncher who uses active hands and feet to help with extended mirroring he’s forced into. Fautanu needs to prove he has the leverage and hand quickness to play inside, but all signs point toward him becoming a good future starter.”