SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Steelers walk away with OT Olu Fashanu after stunning fall to pick 20

The Steelers stood pat at No. 20 and walked away with a blue-chip prospect. 

After disastrous 2023 campaigns from left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and center Mason Cole, rebuilding the offensive line was always bound to be a priority for the Steelers in the offseason. Omar Khan & Co. were patient in their pursuit, and it paid off, snagging the consensus OT3 in this class with the 20th overall pick – Olumuyiwa ”Olu” Fashanu of Penn State.

How he fell as far as he did in the annual SB Nation mock draft remains a mystery. Fashanu was the fifth tackle off the board in this exercise, falling behind Joe Alt, Taliese Fuaga, J.C. Latham and Troy Fautanu.

Though he has absurdly small hands at 8 ½” (perhaps a trait the Steelers look for at pick No. 20?) and struggled on the big stage against Ohio State last season, allowing six of his 10 total pressures all season in that game, there’s not much to not like about Fashanu and what he’ll immediately offer in terms of pass protection starting Day 1 for his new quarterback.

Measuring in at 6’6” and 312 pounds at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Fashanu did plenty to showcase he’s got plenty of athleticism to match the tape, boasting a 5.11-second 40-yard dash (79th percentile for OT), a 32” vert (88th) and 109” broad jump (79th). With that athleticism comes plenty of explosion on tape, with plenty of power and a quickness out of his stance that has made him one of the most effective pass blockers in the NCAA. Per PFF, Fashanu didn’t allow a single sack throughout his collegiate career, earning an 89.2 pass-blocking grade over the past two seasons which ranked second among all tackles.

Where Fashanu will need to grow at the next level (and quickly, considering Arthur Smith’s run-heavy scheme) is in his ability as a run blocker. As NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler notes in his annual draft guide, The Beast, “[Fashanu] shows much better balance in reverse rather than moving forward.” However, there’s no question that the physical power is there to improve in this regard.

Worth noting is the fact that Fashanu is as true a career left tackle as you can find, having played primarily left tackle in high school before going on to play 100% of his snaps at left tackle during his time at Penn State. If Fashanu did fall to the Steelers, it seems likely that he’d stick at left tackle and they’d keep Broderick Jones on the right, even if that’s not his natural spot on the line. They’d have the whole offseason to figure out if that’s the right course, however, with plenty of time to see how the line performs depending on where they’ve lined up. Regardless of where he’s lined up, the Steelers would have found themselves some major value with the pick.

DraftKings Sportsbook has odds installed at -330 that the first position drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers will be an offensive lineman, followed by wide receiver at +350 and cornerback +600 as the three most heavily favored positions — understandably, considering where their greatest needs currently stand.

Unfortunately for fans who liked the pick in this mock draft, DraftKings pegs it as an unlikely outcome that Fashanu falls to the Steelers at pick No. 20. The over/under on Fashanu’s draft position currently set at 14.5, with odds heavily favoring the UNDER at -205. Odds that he falls to pick 15 (or beyond) are installed at +165.