When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Troy Fautanu with the No. 20 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, coach Mike Tomlin’s expectation for Washington’s All-American left tackle was to step in and start right away along the offensive line.
Early in training camp, all returns on Fautanu are that he has exceeded the high expectations that come with being a first-round pick.
“I don’t think there’s any question when you watch Troy Fautanu, the guy knows what he’s doing,” Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said. “His technique is really good. He appears to be a smart guy; he retains what he needs to do. I think you can see why he was a number one pick and was so highly regarded.”
Dulac’s sentiment was shared by five-time All-Pro and 2021’s Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, who shared some of his thoughts on Fautanu with the media after Wednesday’s workout.
“I think he’s done a great job,” Watt said. “He’s done a great job of changing up his sets and doing different things. It’s always fun when you get a new tackle to go against because it’s not necessarily the same technique that you’re used to seeing day in and day out. It’s been a great competition.”
#Steelers LB T.J. Watt on first-round OT Troy Fautanu.
“I think he’s done a great job. … It’s always fun when you get a new tackle to go against because it’s not necessarily the same technique that you’re used to seeing day in and day out.” pic.twitter.com/ubGkyqIEtB
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) July 31, 2024