The Pittsburgh Steelers often land offensive tackles in mock drafts this cycle to fortify that pair with Broderick Jones. It’s not a surprising add, but it can be stunning when that tackle is not one of Amarius Mims, Tyler Guyton, Troy Fautanu, or JC Latham. In the Athletic’s new mock draft, Pittsburgh ends up landing Penn State’s Olu Fashanu.
“Based on potential, Fashanu is worthy of being the second tackle selected. “(Fashanu) is a true left tackle,” said one scout. “The rest (other than Joe Alt) are top-tier right tackles or fine at left tackle, but not elite.” Caleb Williams’ high school teammate might also need the most developmental time among the projected first-rounders. Only because the draft is loaded at tackle does Fashanu remain on the board here, and the Steelers pounce to acquire a bookend tackle with 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones,” they wrote.
Spanning 2020 to 2023, the 6-foot-5 tackle was a stabilizing presence on the Nittany Lions offensive line the past two seasons. The team captain kept his quarterback off the grass on 646 snaps, an incredible run of consistency. Fashanu took home the Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award and first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 by conference coaches after being second-team last year.
To say the least, Fashanu is a projected Top-10 pick, and if the Steelers could pick him 20th overall, that would be a heist. The four tackles mentioned earlier in the article seem likelier at that spot. Still, if Fashanu experiences a fall, and in some mocks, he has fallen farther than most would think, it is not hard to believe that the Steelers would be highly interested in what Fashanu brings to the table. Fashanu is just that good, and he would be a plug-and-play starter for Pittsburgh from the moment he comes into the building.