"We want to be a physical football team," Khan said. "It has to start up front."

That discussion is what grabbed me most about the Steelers picking Fautanu how and when they did. They could've had Graham Barton from Duke or Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson. Impressive players, both.

They also could have went the defensive back route and scooped up Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold out of Alabama.

In theory, Dan Moore Jr. could've held down the fort at the tackle opposite Jones, but there was seemingly a problem with that line of thinking: None of them are Fautanu.

"We were hoping he would be there at 20," Khan said. "This guy loves football."

Added Tomlin, "Just turn the tape on."

Fautanu has an impressive resume — starting every game over the past two seasons, first team All-Pac-12, giving up just three sacks despite playing 1,255 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

He protected the blind side of prized quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but Washington also played to Fautanu's strengths as an athletic tackle, relying on him to block out in space on toss plays or wide receiver screens.

"I can remember watching them in a hotel room late one evening," Tomlin said. "It was just really impressive schematically, the things they did to highlight his skills.

"Not often do you watch tape and see plays being called that highlight a guy who's not an eligible."

...continued

(c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.