Steelers Rookie Had Medical Leak Crush Draft Stock

As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Troy Fautanu was anything but upset that they took him with the 20th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he was surprised. Fautanu and many others were expecting that he'd be gone within the first 15 picks. So why did he fall? Fautanu has a guess.

“I have no clue," the Steelers' latest first-round pick said in an appearance on Softy & Dick, a radio show on KJR in Seattle. "I talked to my agent, and he was saying that a team later in the draft might have leaked it to try and get me to fall. The last time I dealt with [my knee] was in 2021, but I’ve never missed any games, never missed any practices due to it, so it was kind of random, honestly."

A knee injury that had plagued Fautanu through high school and the first part of his college career was reportedly flagged by a team's medical staff during pre-draft meetings, according to a report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, and it was feared that the injury could limit his longevity in the NFL.

Fautanu insists that the knee hasn't been an issue for years and he was confused why it was being reported as an issue. Steelers general manager Omar Khan said he and the rest of the front office were comfortable with the medical evaluation their team doctors performed and felt lucky to land Fautanu at pick No. 20.