Right on the heels of taking a peak at Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga, our next scouting report target is one of his Pac-12 contemporaries, Troy Fautanu, out of U-Dub. Born just a hop, skip, and a jump outside of Las Vegas, The Washington product had to wait three years to get his big break, but once he got the starting left tackle gig in 2022, he never looked back.
Despite not having the biggest frame by left tackle standards, Fautanu ripped off a par of All-Pac-12 Team selections, and the belief is that he will almost certainly hear his name called on Night One of this year's NFL draft. Especially in a draft class with many high-profile guys with better-size profiles, this could lead to Fautanu falling a bit and potentially kicking him in at guard, depending on where he lands. If that's the case, is his potential slide warranted, or will someone in the late teens or even in 20s get a game-changer?
Player Bio
Name: Troy Fautanu
Jersey: No. 55
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Washington
Class: Junior
Height: 6'3 3/4ths"
Weight: 317 lbs
Games Watched: vs. Oregon and UCLA (2022), vs. Oregon, Michigan State and Michigan (2023)
RAS Score Comp:
Player Breakdown
Pass Blocking (13.75/15)
After watching the two games from 2022, I was all but prepared to say Fautanu will likely have to kick inside as a pro. He couldn't properly use his length, and it got him beaten a ton outside despite having an excellent ability to get in and out of his pass sets. Flashing his hands early was another reason I thought this as well.
Then I got to the 2023 games, and Fautanu was not perfect, but in comparison, he might as well have been a pass protector. His length usage was much better fending off edge rushers taking a long way around, as well as his recovery skills, hand-checking ability, and some mechanical improvements. Not to mention, his ability to read and react to twists and stunts might not be matched by any guy in this class. Based on those three 2023 games I saw (mainly vs. Oregon and Michigan), I no longer doubt Fautanu's ability to be an NFL tackle.
Run Blocking (14.75/15)
While his pass-blocking ability was a bit rocky out of the gates, Fautanu was a great run blocker more often than not. That especially rang true once they started to get him out in space/motion in 2023. He has the ability to lay out some punishment at and beyond the line of scrimmage and has that finisher tendency that a ton of coaches will love. A minor nitpick, if anything, is sustaining blocks, but that was something I saw improve throughout 2023.
Length (12.5/15)
I just touched on this a few moments ago, but Fautanu got much better at using his limited wingspan (despite having 67th percentile arm size) as a pass protector in 2023. Once he lost a step to his outside in the pair of 2022 games, he consistently wasn't able to engage/re-engage adequately enough to avoid giving up pressure, specifically against edge rushers in 7 and 9-tech. With that in mind, Fautanu made great strides in this area last season, using his reach and hand-checking ability much better as a pass protector.
Footwork (9.5/10)
I don't have much to say here. Fautanu's footwork was consistently excellent. He always kept his feet moving and moves very well for a guy who's nearly 32 lbs. There is no reason to believe his footwork at the LOS or his ability to move will be different as an NFL player.
Mechanics (8.25/10)
I think Fautanu's mechanics are better than this score would indicate, but the issue lies more in the consistency of those mechanics, if nothing else. He was guilty of being very early, flashing his hands, lunging into blockers and leaving himself open for inside counters, and being inconsistent with hand placement, which is probably his biggest mechanical issue at the time of writing. The good news is that he showed improvement just about everywhere else, and he should be in a good spot for his rookie year.
Athleticism (9.5/10)
Much like Fuaga, Fautanu's natural athleticism translates beautifully to the gridiron. He moves very well in all directions and gets off the line very well. I have a very good feeling that no matter what position he ends up playing in the NFL, he's going to be a monster making blocks out of space.
Versatility (9.25/10)
Fautanu has only ever played left tackle in a starting capacity, but he'd have no problem flipping to the other side of the line or kicking in at either guard spot. Although he has no major experience at right tackle, I wouldn't be stunned if that's where he ends up come camp time, but I think he's front and position versatile enough to fit just about anywhere outside of the center.
Anchor (9/10)
This is another area of Fautanu's game that I thought improved tremendously in his junior season. Once he hit his landmarks and got deep enough in his set, he was a hard guy to move, and his core balance was tremendous more often than not. Even with room for improvement, Fautanu's anchor ability is playable as an NFL tackle.
Control (4/5)
The big thing as it relates to Fautanu getting better control of his blocks would be hand placement. It got much better by the end, but he occasionally had some erratic hand placement. Additionally, you did see some lunges early on, but that's almost entirely out of the system.
Player Summary
Impressed would be a quick way to describe my feelings about Fautanu after the final snap of the film. His improvement across the board from '22 to '23 was evident the second I turned on the Oregon game, and the level of play was the standard from there on out. Please make no mistake about it; this kid can flat play.
I mentioned this in my most recent mock draft, but I could see teams falling into the trap of not thinking Fautanu is playable at tackle and not knowing where to put him. That, of course, would be a mistake if you're a team picking in the 10-20 looking for a bulldozer on the line of scrimmage. Regardless of whether he's a tackle or guard, Fautanu's energy and level of play are infectious, and he will be a welcome addition to any locker room he joins at the end of the month.
Rookie Projection: Day One Starter
Third-Year Projection: Franchise/All-Pro Offensive Lineman
Final Grade (90.5/100): Top 10 Talent
Main Image via