NFL Draft
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There was 5 tackles taken before him ( which makes him the 6th tackle taken in the first 20 picks. Steelers under Tomlin has been terrible in offensive line picks.
They should have went with the stud corner from Toledo. He was rated the number one corner and would have been the first player at his position to take. Him and Porter at corners could have let the defense be much more aggressive.
"Top remaining _________________ on the board"..... is NEVER a statement that makes sense in the NFL draft, IMO
.......my reasoning is that there are so many guys drafted that are not good enough to be an asset........it is far removed from " top rated football player on the board" i.e. best athlete available.......
Centers are hard to justify a first round pick on, which is why it's relatively uncommon for one to go first round. Plenty of quality Cs available every year in rounds 2-5.
Late to this thread but this seems to have worked out. NFL network had him as the 11 overall player in the entire draft, so it appears to me that the Steelers filled a need with the best available player on the board. They didn’t reach for a C because it’s a gaping hole in their squad.
NFL network said this is a plug and play guy from day 1. He’s not Broderick Jones. He was the 11 overall prospect in the draft and that’s because of injuries. He grades out higher.
It's the kind of pick that isn't sexy but makes a lot of sense, and it's a foundational pick. You want to improve your O or D, you have to start in the trenches.
We’ve ignored the oline for 15 years. It’s nice knowing that they now have their bookend tackles for the next decade.
This was a little bit of a luxury pick. Only saying that because replacing Moore and starting two very young tackles in front of an elderly QB or shuffling guys around to play out of position is really risky. They could have traded back and gotten another pick at a position they NEED today and some value. Don’t get me wrong, guy can be really good, just don’t get the aversion to picking a guy that will be a stud center when they keep falling in your lap. There are decent ones left but getting a true stud at that position can really turn a franchise around.
If Jackson-Powers the Oregon center is available, they need to grab him and then it’s an A+ draft for me. If not ho in a different direction. The question is, who else needs a center before the Steelers pick?
I watched NFL networks coverage and they gushed over the guy. Also heard said that if he was 1.5 inches taller he’d have been a top 5 pick in the draft.
Here is what ESPN says:
Fautanu is a tenacious drive blocker who teams could confidently run behind in short-yardage situations. He has the range to reach second-level defenders and the size to overwhelm defenders in space. His body control and balance in pass protection are excellent. He also mirrors well when his footwork is sound, and he flashes the ability to recover when he gets caught out of position. Fautanu has long arms, bends well and has a strong punch. He started 29 games at left tackle and two games at left guard for Washington. -- Steve Muench
Matt Miller's pro comp: Peter Skoronski
Overall value: Bargain. Fautanu is 15th overall in my rankings, and I think he's the second-best offensive tackle in the draft. He might move inside to guard in the NFL, and if that's the case, he's the top guard in this class. Either way, Fautanu comes at great value here. -- Muench
Here is what ESPN says:
Fautanu is a tenacious drive blocker who teams could confidently run behind in short-yardage situations. He has the range to reach second-level defenders and the size to overwhelm defenders in space. His body control and balance in pass protection are excellent. He also mirrors well when his footwork is sound, and he flashes the ability to recover when he gets caught out of position. Fautanu has long arms, bends well and has a strong punch. He started 29 games at left tackle and two games at left guard for Washington. -- Steve Muench
Matt Miller's pro comp: Peter Skoronski
Post-Draft Analysis
The Steelers elect to draft an offensive lineman for the second consecutive year, after taking Broderick Jones in 2023. Fautanu is a versatile blocker who can play all five positions up front, and while I have him graded as a guard, he could be an option at center in Pittsburgh. There's a huge need there. Regardless of where he plays, Fautanu is a Day 1 starter on an offensive line that needed to be addressed. -- Jordan ReidOverall value: Bargain. Fautanu is 15th overall in my rankings, and I think he's the second-best offensive tackle in the draft. He might move inside to guard in the NFL, and if that's the case, he's the top guard in this class. Either way, Fautanu comes at great value here. -- Muench
Ok for what it’s worth, I looked at the NFL.com draft capsules of every team ahead of the Steelers in Rd 2, and not one team was said to be in need of a center. I’m not sure that’s true, but it is interesting.
Fautanu is easily a top 10 OL of the last 3 years, maybe top 5 (Neal, Latham, Alt are the only ones who were for sure better prospects). He's got good size, great power, a variety of moves. Very advanced film and nasty attitude. He will be the Steelers best OL in years. Probably since peak DeCastro.
That the Steelers got him at 20 is incredible. Kind of felt like the draft value on JPJ last year.
It seems like the board almost never broke this way for the Steelers for about 5 years. Either classes didn't have what we needed (2013, no pass rush, went Jarvis Jones; 2015 same with Bud Dupree) or we got sniped (2016 with William Jackson 1 pick before Artie Burns).
This stupid run on QBs really helped the Steelers. I mean, a lot. If it's not for dumb teams reaching on them, we probably draft a significantly worse OL prospect.
I think you could also say he was the top rated player on the board (was Mel Kiper’s best remaining player, was projected by most to be selected before the Steelers picked, etc.) he just also happened to be the top remaining lineman as well.
PFF has the NYG taking Zach Frazier 47th, the Oregon center still available when we pick 51st but us taking the Michigan WR instead.
C and WR both glaring holes, I couldn’t question filling either one of those at 51.
I hung out w/ DeCastro, that was a good dude.
Steelers draft guys that are cool and like football.
I like it because it shows some awareness that they are, in fact, not Super Bowl contenders right now. Tackle isn't the biggest need, but it was a value pick at an important position and that's how you build winning teams.
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Yep I believe he was the top overall player according to nfl network too. The Steelers got a top 10 player this year. That doesn’t happen very often.
Someone said the Chargers and Giants are the other two teams that need a C, but they had the Chargers taking a receiver.
I feel like it's a position that usually gets taken later, but us Steeler fans have a skewed perception of it because 1) We've drafted C high before, and 2) We really need one.
Last two drafts have been fantastic so far. It's amazing what you can do when you're not lying to yourself and pretending like a spent QB is going to get you a championship if you just surround him with some immediate weapons. This feels like what we always used to do: Sit back and let other teams be the idiots, while sticking to picks that make sense.
All of that, and I'd you hear his background?
He idolizes Troy Polomalu. He felt it was a huge honor to just visit the Steelers complex prior to the draft. Felt like it was a pilgrimage to a holy place.
I don't think lack of effort is going to be an issue with this guy.
This draft may shape up as a really good one for the black and gold.
Remember, they cleared 7 million $$ of cap space prior to the draft. They seem poised to make a deal or sign someone, probably a WR.
Not for nothing, but Boyd is still out there. His price is probably dropping. Ayuk is also intriguing because the 49'ers drafted a WR #1 too. Something is going to give there.
Bet they get a very good C in 2 or 3, and then grab a DB and trade for a WR.
At this point Boyd doesn't excite me. They need a #2, or #1 if you think Pickens is only a 2. I guess Boyd would provide quality depth, but they need more than that.
Boyd isn't exciting if he's the best receiver we obtain from now until the season, but if it's him and a 2nd round pick (or maybe even third) then I might like that better than giving up a ton of capital for Aiyuk.
And what’s funny is that I think the only reason he didn’t go higher, in addition to the run on QBs, was that teams were scared off by his height (“only” 6’4” for an OT). However, his arm length is actually longer (34.5in) than 6’8” Joe Alt (34.25in) and 6’6” Taliese Fuaga (33.125in). No issues there.
I know we're beating a dead horse with Kenny but for a guy who got basically 100% of the blame from media and fans for the Steelers offense being bad in 2022-2023, I find it noteworthy that the Steelers have quietly moved on from 4 other offensive starters, 3 of them OL (Chuks, Cole, and Moore) and 3 with years remaining on their contracts (Cole, Moore, and Diontae).
The biggest "move on" was CANADA.
The Steelers gave KP a shot, and gave him the opportunity to start most of 2 years.
His stats and pocket presence were below the line, so they moved on from him.
If he's some kind of diamond in the rough, he'll prove it.
In the meantime, he's a multi millionaire and set for life. That a nice salve to sooth any sting he feels.
This is a bingo…and for me I felt like an upgrade at center would have instantly made Kenny better. So if he were still here, that’s was my top hope for the draft. Improving the center position would have made their QB better so a first round pick on a center would be warranted in my eyes. He had happy feet and bailed out of pockets…but his internal clock was all screwed up because of the internal pass rush due to bad pass protection and bad snaps that messed up the timing of the offense.
I don’t know where Mason cole is but it will be interesting to see what the rest of his career will be.
You can stop posting about his money. Has nothing to do with anything. You're a broken record.
Yeah, the Steelers gave KP a shot with the worst OC in modern NFL history and an OL of which 60% was in need of replacement and a #1 WR who they let go for peanuts.
Again, not saying he played well enough to keep his job. I just think it's silly to blame him 100% and not accept that the team has now admitted through their actions that they put a ton of crap around him in key positions and expected him to perform despite that. We are not talking about a TE here. It was totally unrealistic that a rookie or 2nd year QB would succeed with an OC, 3/5 OL - including both OTs and the C - , and WR1 that all needed replacement.
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That certainly isn't any more risky than starting Dan Moore again and getting your elderly QB killed. Or worse.
The Athletic had him as their 9th rated player overall. They gave the pick an A. The take away line from their write up is "this is a great pick and an outstanding value."
The Athletic also has a 2nd and 3rd round mock draft up today. They have the Stillers picking Jackson Powers-Johnson in the 2nd, and then Jermaine Burton (wr, Alabama) and Jarvis Brownlee (cb, Louisville) in the 3rd.
If it falls that way it would be just about as good as possible.
If it falls that way it would be just about as good as possible.
Yep...put a bunch of crap around him and expected him to succeed. The Steelers totally butchered the entire situation...BUTCHERED!!
Imagine if the Steelers gave Bradshaw the same "Shot" they gave Pickett
The rest of the offseason they’ve been saying they need to win now and have behaved that way. Guess it depends on which story you believe. It’s a good pick to build on. But I don’t think he’ll be a tackle. Steelers might try to use him there but I think he’ll be more successful as a guard.
I'm a little suspicious that's just a link by the agent for the letter J.
I'll admit, it took me a second, but I like it!
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