Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan Skip Out on Thursday’s Pro Days

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin did not travel to Duke or Washington pro days on Thursday, meaning neither of them will see Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton or Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu up close and personal.

Offensive line coach Pat Meyer is in Seattle for Washington Pro Day. Fautanu is the group sleeper not discussed nearly enough among Steelers fans, but he makes sense. He measured with 34 1/2-inch arms at the NFL Combine. The Steelers under Andy Weidl and Omar Khan have strategically put the cut off line around that mark. Fautanu checks the box, which puts him in the mix at 20th overall. Add on a 1.71 10-yard split and an impressive set of position drills, and this needs to be at least thought of significantly.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith made the trip to see Barton. In the past, Barton has played at left tackle and center, but he played at center in 2020. That is only one year of experience, though most teams say Barton will shift inside. The Steelers are unlikely to draft a guy who will project as a guard, so if they draft Barton, it will be because they view him as an interior offensive lineman or believe he can stick it out at tackle.

Tomlin and Khan, the top of the Steelers brain trust, have made just four pro day trips to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Michigan this year. And it’s certainly possible that the team might be changing how they go about their process. Regardless, since 2010, the rule has been that the general manager or head coach had to be in attendance at the first-round pick’s pro day. We will see if 2024 will break that trend, but for now, the only options come from four choice schools.