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NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah officially released his second NFL mock draft of the offseason on Tuesday, just over a week out from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. In Version 1.0, Jeremiah had the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Georgia tackle Amarius Mims with the 20th overall pick.

This time, the Black & Gold went in a different direction, selecting Washington tackle Troy Fautanu. He notes:

Pittsburgh invests in the offensive line in Round 1 for the second year in a row. Fautanu fits the physical identity the Steelers are looking to create. He can play anywhere on the line, but it would be fun to watch him line up next to 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones.

Fautanu was the 16th-ranked player on Jeremiah’s Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings v1.0 closing out the month of January. Then, he wrote:

Fautanu is an explosive left tackle prospect for the Huskies. He has average height and a thick, square build with long arms. In pass pro, he is a very easy mover, bends well and has a sharp/jolting punch. He redirects smoothly and is a nasty helper when uncovered. His biggest issue is when he gets overaggressive and loses his balance trying to pummel pass rushers instead of playing with more patience. In the run game, he can get underneath defenders and uproot them at the point of attack. He is very explosive as a puller and on screens, with the ability to get all the way to the third level in a hurry. He does have some starting experience at guard, and some NFL teams will project him inside. Overall, I view Fautanu as a starting tackle with positional flexibility to play all five O-line spots if needed.

Jeremiah projected Fautanu to the Seattle Seahawks in version 1.0 of his 2024 NFL mock draft.

Jeremiah makes it a point to emphasize Fautanu’s versatility on the offensive line, which is certainly a quality the Steelers covet. Most interesting of all, however, is his note regarding the potential to line up next to Broderick Jones — meaning Jeremiah projects the Steelers could install Fautanu as a guard at the next level.

Interstingly, Jones’ own position for the 2024 season is up in the air heading into the offseason. After being drafted as a left tackle and presumed heir-apparent to veteran Dan Moore Jr., Jones made the transition to the right side of the line in Week 9, following the benching of then-starter Chukwama Okorafor. It’s unclear if the team intends to transition Jones back to the left side of the offensive line, though it seems like a wise move — particularly given Okorafor’s release earlier in February.

If the Steelers did draft Fautanu with the intention of him playing guard, they would have to make some room. Currently, the Steelers have 2023 free agent signing OL Isaac Seumalo installed at left guard and James Daniels at right guard, now in the final year of his three-year deal with the Steelers. Daniels also has an element of versatility to his game, having started his career at left guard with additional experience at center before switching to right guard full-time in the 2021 season, so perhaps Jeremiah’s notion here is that the Steelers would kick him to center or move on from him entirely this offseason.

Pittsburgh can save $8.25 million with a trade or release Daniels ahead of 2024, but it’s unclear if they actually have any reason to. Though Daniels didn’t have a stellar season — to be fair, nobody on that offensive line did — he was the Steelers’ highest-graded offensive lineman with a 97.7 pass-blocking efficiency rating, per PFF.

How do you feel about Jeremiah’s selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his second NFL Mock Draft? Would you prefer Fautanu or his initial projection — Amarius Mims? Join our community at Behind The Steel Curtain and let us know in the comments!