Steelers bolster offensive line, take Troy Fautanu from Washington with 20th pick in NFL draft

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Troy Fautanu with the 20th overall pick in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft, giving them a potential bookend to last year’s top pick Broderick Jones.

The 6-foot-4, 317-pound Fautanu started 15 games at left tackle last season as the Washington Huskies reached the College Football Playoff final against Michigan. He won the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the top offensive lineman in the country, in the process.

The 23-year-old Fautanu joins an offense that hit the reset button in the offseason, signing quarterback Russell Wilson, trading for quarterback Justin Fields and hiring former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator.

The Steelers still plan on relying heavily on one of the top running back tandems in the NFL in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, both of whom topped 1,000 total yards last season.