Category: Troy Fautanu

Steelers OT Troy Fautanu describes feelings of falling in NFL draft

The Steelers landed Troy Fautanu with the No. 20 overall pick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Troy Foutanu with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Most pundits graded this pick out really high and on most big boards, Fautanu was ranked somewhere between 10-20 among all players and was a top-four offensive lineman. Fautanu was the sixth offensive tackle off the board.

As excited as Fautanu was to land with the Steelers, he was still some hard feeling about falling to the No. 20 overall pick. He talked about it after the draft.

You know I wouldn’t say I take it personally, but I’m rooting for those guys because I met a lot of those guys along this process and they’re all really great guys. But you know, the competitor in me I guess does take it personally. You know what I mean. I’m just ready to kind of pour everything into this organization and get ready to work.

Prospects need to understand there are far worse things than being selected in the second half of the first round. You typically are going to a more talented football team and while you might make a little less money, I have to think that winning games still counts for something.

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Steelers rookie tackle Troy Fautanu clears up health concerns

Troy Fautanu clears the air about the perception of his injury by the NFL.

Encapsulated in the pre-draft process every year are the medical reports on prospects. For Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tackle Troy Fautanu, news of an injury he sustained came to light publicly just a couple of days before the 2024 NFL draft.

“Washington OT Troy Fautanu’s knee was flagged,” Albert Breer wrote for Sports Illustrated on April 22. “That one was described to me as the sort of issue that shouldn’t be a problem in the short term, but could wind up impacting his longevity in the pros (though his high football character is a factor in making teams feel like he’ll do all he can to take care of it, and give himself the best chance).”

Fautanu put the concern to rest on a conference call with Pittsburgh media after the Steelers selection.

“I have no clue [why my knee was flagged],” Fautanu said. “That knee thing hasn’t bothered me in years. You play football and play offensive line. If you come out playing football for years and years and you don’t get injured, it’s you’re like a pony. I understand the physicality that I do play with, and you know, sometimes things are going to happen like that, but it doesn’t stop me from showing up to work every single day and playing the way that I do play.”

Fautanu isn’t sure of the specifics, but he believes injury concerns were leaked, causing his draft stock to slide. Expectations were that he’d be a top-15 pick.

“I honestly have no clue,” Fautanu said on Seattle’s KJR Softy & Dick show. “I talked to my agent and basically he was saying that a team later in the draft might’ve leaked it to try and get me to fall.”

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Steelers rookie OT Troy Fautanu reveals jersey number

Steelers rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu will wear No. 76.

Steelers rookie offensive tackle Troy Fautanu landed in Pittsburgh Friday morning and headed to the South Side for his introductory press conference. There he revealed he’ll be donning No. 76 in the Black and Gold.

Fautanu paid homage to his favorite player from his favorite team in Troy Polamalu, wearing No. 43 throughout his pre-college days until he switched from defensive to offensive line in high school. At Washington, Fautanu wore No. 55.

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WATCH: Highlights of new Steelers OT Troy Fautanu

These highlights from Troy Fautanu’s final season in Washington offer a glimpse of what Steelers fans can look forward to.

The months of relentless speculation about who the Pittsburgh Steelers would take with their first pick of the 2024 NFL draft are over. They needed a tackle and they certainly got one in brawler Troy Fautanu.

According to Pro Football Focus, Fautanu allowed just three sacks in his four seasons as a Washington Husky.

These highlights from Fautanu’s final season in Washington offer a glimpse of what Steelers fans can look forward to:

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Russell Wilson reacts to Steelers 2024 NFL draft selection, Troy Fautanu

Steelers QB Russell Wilson posted a welcome message for NFL draft pick Troy Fautanu on X.

Protection is one of the most critical pieces of an offense for any quarterback, let alone an aging quarterback. The Pittsburgh Steelers started the process of fortifying their trenches with the selection of tackle Troy Fautanu at No. 20.

And Russell Wilson couldn’t be happier. “Welcome to the Burgh!” he posted on X shortly after the pick.

Wilson has absorbed 100 sacks over the last two years. With 527 career sacks, Wilson is fourth behind Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers.

Per The 33rd Team, Fautanu allowed just three sacks on 1,332 pass-blocking snaps in three years at Washington.

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