The Pittsburgh Steelers made seven selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding significantly to their offensive line and their overall athleticism. Here are the quick bios for all seven of the Steelers’ latest rookies.
1st Round, No. 20: Offensive Tackle Troy Fautanu, Washington
6-foot-3 3/4, 317 pounds, 23 years old, from Henderson, Nevada
Fautanu is an outstanding athletic, running a 5.01-second 40-yard dash and posting 29 reps on the bench press for a 9.62 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.
A two-year starter at left tackle, Fautanu started all 28 games since 2022, and allowed just two sacks. He also played some left guard earlier in his career.
Fautanu is Samoan and Tongan and grew up idolizing Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.
2nd Round, No. 51: Center Zach Frazier, West Virginia
6-foot-2 5/8, 313 pounds, 22 years old, from Fairmont, West Virginia
Frazier is a rugged, tough center who was a four-time state champion wrestler in West Virginia. That shows up in his film, as he effortlessly works angles in open spaces and has great leverage and hand placement.
A four-year starter with the Mountaineers, Frazier became a stalwart on the offensive line, becoming the steady force that the team needed. He made all of the signal calls and showcased high football IQ.
He had just two losses in high school wrestling, both in his freshman year, and holds the highest winning percentage for a high school wrestler in Marion County history.
3rd Round, No. 84: Wide Receiver Roman Wilson, Michigan
5-foot-10 3/4, 185 pounds, 22 years old, from Kihei, Hawaii
Wilson is a tough, dependable wide receiver who played most of his snaps out of the slot at Michigan. 65 percent of his snaps came out of that alignment.
Wilson profiles as a hard-nosed chain mover who does most of his work underneath and between the numbers, but his speed in and out of breaks profiles him as a possible downfield playmaker.
During his high school career, Wilson played at St. Louis High School in Hawaii with Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig.
3rd Round, No. 98: Linebacker Payton Wilson, NC State
6-foot-3 7/8, 233 pounds, 24 years old from Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Wilson is an explosive, lanky athlete who flies across the field and stuffs the stat sheet through his hot motor and special sideline-to-sideline speed.
NC State lined Wilson up all over the formation and he became a potent spot dropper and blitzer with the Wolfpack over his years there. He has special versatility.
Wilson is the brother of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson, and he is intimately familiar with the city. Bryse used to live in the Strip District.
4th Round, No. 119: Guard Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
6-foot-4 1/4, 309 pounds, 23 years old from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
McCormick is a thick offensive lineman who works in space well with his high level of functional athleticism. Both center and guard capable, McCormick can work as an interior swingman.
He is an experienced player with 57 starts under his belt at South Dakota State, and some of his best games came against their best competition.
Throughout his high school days, McCormick was a star basketball player, and it shows up in his footwork on film.
6th Round, No. 178: Iowa Defensive Tackle Logan Lee
6-foot-5 3/8, 281 pounds, 23 years old, from Orion, Illinois
Lee got started as a tight end, and still has strong athleticism as a defensive lineman, posting a 4.37-second shuttle and a 7.16-second three-cone drill. He may need to put on some weight to make an impact as a 3-4 defensive end at the NFL level.
Lee was a three-year starter on a defensive line that also included 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, who Lee started over.
Lee grew up a Steelers fan, and is a student of the history of the game: “I loved watching Mel Blount slam people on their heads and stuff.”
6th Rd, No. 195, Texas Defensive Back Ryan Watts
6-foot-2 7/8, 208 pounds, 22 years old, from Little Elm, Texas
Watts fits the Steelers defensive back philosophy from 2023, when they added “Avatar” cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice. He’s big, fast, and physical. So big that some teams projected him as a safety.
In his first two seasons at Ohio State, Watts played a lot of special teams, and he continued to even after he became a starter at Texas.
Some prospects are nervous during interviews, but Watts said he had the entire 10-deep Steelers staff, including Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Teryl Austin, laughing during his formal meeting at the 2024 NFL Combine.