The Steelers signed offensive tackle Troy Fautanu, the team's first-round pick, to a four-year contract. Fautanu, who played at the University of Washington, was selected with the 20th overall pick.
"Excited to have him as a member of this organization," said General Manager Omar Khan. "We spent a great deal of time with him. We met with Troy at the Combine. We had him in here as a 30 visit. We are excited to have him here.
"I would say that he was a player that we had rated really high up on the board. He was one of the guys that we were hoping would be there and that we were targeting. When he was, we were on the clock -- when they, when we were at 19 and waiting to see what the Rams picked, and it was just -- we just felt really good about it. He's the player we wanted."
Fautanu was named All-Pac-12 first team in 2023, the second straight year he earned the honor. He started all 15 games at left tackle in 2023 and won the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12 Conference, an award that is voted on by the Pac-12 defensive linemen.
"Really excited about Troy," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "The tape was just really, really impressive, not only in terms of his talents, but really I think his talents were really highlighted by the way that Washington utilized his talents schematically. You saw everything that you wanted to see. You saw him out in space in the perimeter game, be it crack toss or wide receiver screens. He was great in the run game. He was great as a drop-back pass protector.
"We had great visits through the process. Went to Tuscaloosa, obviously to handle some Alabama business, but we had an opportunity to really talk to some people in Tuscaloosa that had some firsthand knowledge of his capabilities, the coaching staff, and he just checked every box. We're really excited to have him.
"His commitment to the game, his passion for the game really was evident in communicating with him. His passion is real. It is a calling card, coupled with his tremendous athletic talent.
"I just think his relationship with the game is a pure one. He's a competitor. He loves football. He loves the things that come with football, based on talking to those around him, the preparation things, the training, practice. He's a black and gold type of a guy."
In 2022, Fautanu started all 13 games. He played three at left tackle, one game at guard, and returned to left tackle for the remainder of the season. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week following the team's win over Michigan State, when Washington put up 503 yards of total offense and allowed only one tackle for a loss.
Fautanu grew up a fan of the Steelers and always admired Troy Polamalu. For Fautanu, being drafted by the Steelers is a dream come true.
"It couldn't have gone any better. I grew up a Troy Polamalu fan," said Fautanu. "I wore No. 43 pretty much my whole life until I switched to o-line and couldn't wear it. Just growing up, being a fan of the Steelers, I know a lot about the team and the history. I am super excited, and it couldn't have been any better. It's with the team I grew up loving.
"I was a little crybaby. I'm not going to lie. It was very nerve-wracking up to that point. I am just happy things happened the way they did, and I was able to get drafted by a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers."
