Troy Fautanu just might be a modern Hog

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects that could contribute to the Commanders

Player, Position: Troy Fautanu, OL
School: University of Washington | Conference: Pac 12
College Experience: Senior | Age: 23
Height | Weight | Arms: 6’4” | 317 lbs | 34 1/2

Projected Draft Status: Round 1
Player Comparisons: Trent Williams, Rashawn Slater

Player Overview

Troy Fautanu is an extremely athletic OL who showed outstanding development at the University of Washington. He began by sitting as a reserve, playing two games (at guard) by the end of his redshirt sophomore year. He became a starter at left ackle before the 2022 season and has started every game there since. In contrast to many of his peers in this draft, he is well-seasoned. In 2022, he was Second-Team All-Pac 12 Conference; last year he was First-Team All-Pac 12, Third-Team AP All-American, and he was the leader of the line that won the Joe Moore Aware as the top OL in the country. His performance was excellent in 2023; he gave up only two hits and two sacks for a 2023 team that reached the National Championship game.

Anyone who loves OL play will appreciate his aggressive mentality. Interviews with him include quotes such as this: “There’s only one way to play O-line, and that’s nasty. It’s just every day practicing being violent with your hands and just trying to be explosive off the ball. You just have to put your will on the other guy. You’ve got to dominate. That’s my whole mindset every single play.” Those aren’t idle words – he backs them up with his play. Folks, the man is a Hog at heart.

Fautanu is a somewhat controversial player. Draftniks usually project him to be taken in the first round, but they put him anywhere from the 10^th spot to the end of the first round, and a few put him at the top of the second round. The main point of controversy is whether he is a left tackle, a right tackle, or a guard in the NFL. Those who see him as a quality LT tend to see him going at the top of the draft, while those who see him as a G only see him sliding. What’s behind that controversy?

In a draft full of OTs who are 6’7″ or taller, Fautanu looks short by comparison – he is just under 6’4″. He has a thick, stocky build and slightly above-average weight (317 pounds) as well as long arms (34.5”), which he uses well. He is one of the most athletic OL in the draft, both in testing and on film. Those who project him at guard see him as perfectly sized for G but short for a T. However, two of his comps are very athletic All-Pros who are almost exactly his size: Trent Williams and Rashawn Slater. Indeed, his arms are 1.5” longer than Slater’s and he weights 12 pounds more than Slater did at the Combine. I think the idea that he must move to G because of his length is one of the laziest analyses around.

Like any prospect, he is not a sure thing, and he has both strengths and weaknesses. Let’s look at them.

Strengths

• Bull dog mentality – tenacious, physical, and intense on the field
• Experienced and smart
• Highly athletic, elite movement and agility, good flexibility; an especially good fit for a zone rushing system
• Sound technically – nimble feet, bent knees, lateral movement, squared shoulders, etc.
• Hand and arm use isn’t perfect, but it’s like a clinic compared to that of most of the OL in this draft; he uses his arms and punch effectively
• No injuries in the past two years
• Has played in both a zone and a blended zone/gap system

Weaknesses

• Not as powerful as expected given his build – and it may be hard for him to get much stronger because of his thick build; he is not a road grader as a run blocker
• Could do more to latch onto pass rushers to control them
• Can sometimes be beaten by long, very athletic Edge rushers either inside or outside if he over-sets (although the statistics indicate this does not happen often)
• Needs to work on technique to get more power out of his lower body on blocks
• As a pass blocker, he rarely stonewalls the opponent; rather he slowly walks him back. This is not fatal, but an elite power blocker might be more successful at anchoring against the Edge

The tape on the National Championship game is a good one to see his strengths and weaknesses. Although he made some technical mistakes at times, he was quite effective for virtually the entire game even though the Washington offense struggled at times. The RT for Washington, Roger Rosengarten, had a tough night, but is projected to go as high as Round 2. Fautanu never struggled until late in the game, when Michigan began flooding the left side of the OL and the blocking scheme provided no extra help. Even so, he had arguably the best game of any Husky on the offensive side of the ball.

Let’s See His Work

Clip from the Michigan game: Now that’s what I’m talking about

Clip showing off his athleticism at the Combine:

Film from two important games: Oregon and Michigan

RAS Chart

Spider graph

How He Fits on the Commanders

Simply put, I love this guy. Fautanu would start at LT from Day 1 for the Commanders and would continue to develop his power and technique in the next two or three years. The only fit issue is if Washington becomes committed primarily to a gap blocking system rather than a zone blocking system or a gap/zone blend. In that case, his power limitations would be amplified and his movement advantages as a zone blocker would be lost.

He has been mocked to several different teams in the first round and he probably will go there. It’s hard to believe that San Francisco would let him get away if he is available in Round 1, for example. There are only two scenarios in which Washington might draft him. The first is a trade up, perhaps as high as the middle of the first round, if they see him as their man. That would be expensive in terms of draft capital. The second route is if most teams decide that he is a future Guard and overlook him in the first round. It seems very unlikely but is possible that he will be bypassed in a tackle-rich class and then falls to Washington at the top of Round 2. We can dream.