Troy Fautanu NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers OT

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 317

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 34½"

WINGSPAN: 81½"

40-YARD DASH: 5.01

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 9'5"

POSITIVES

— Very good athletic ability, quickness, power and length.

— Weapon on the move with the burst and tracking skills to wipe out targets on pulls, leads and climbs.

— Delivers jarring blows on contact with heavy hands and a physical, imposing demeanor.

— Extremely agile and quick in pass protection with active, varied strikes to mirror and keep rushers guessing.

— Plays long to maximize his length and keep rushers at his fingertips when his strikes land.

NEGATIVES

— Plays with a hurried, frenetic pace in pass protection that leads to getting out of position and off-balance against rushers who know how to set up their moves with stutters, hesitations and tempo.

— Inconsistent set points and body positioning in pass sets leads to quick losses across his face due to opening his hips early and/or oversetting.

— Will throw his hands at rushers looking for knockout blows.

2023 STATISTICS

— 15 starts at left tackle

NOTES

— Born Oct. 11, 2000

— 4-star recruit from 2018 class, per 247Sports

— Started out on the defensive line before switching to the offensive side as a sophomore; also competed in volleyball

— 30 career starts split between left tackle (28) and left guard (two)

— 2023 third-team All-American (AP), first-team All-Pac-12

— 2022 second-team All-Pac-12

OVERALL

Troy Fautanu is a two-year starter inside Washington's pass-heavy, multiple run scheme featuring zone concepts, pin-pull, counters and extensive empty pass formations that leave him on an island. Fautanu has 28 career starts primarily at left tackle with two starts at left guard. He is listed at 6'4" but has abnormally long arms with a well-rounded, thick build and very good athletic ability.

Fautanu is a dynamic run-blocker with the burst, quickness and power to cut off or cave in defenders on reach, scoop and angle-drive blocks, ricochet up to the second level and take out 'backers, plus erase smaller targets on tosses, screens and counters. He brings a tone-setting demeanor with the coordination, body control and sustain skills to finish at a high level, with the ability to deliver jarring knockdowns and body blows once latched and/or on contact.

In pass protection, Fautanu is a charged-up, easy mover out of his stance and in his sets with a default aggressive, attacking mentality that he works to balance with flashes of tact and poise. He works in varied strikes and pass sets to keep rushers guessing with an understanding of how to maximize his length and keep defenders at his fingertips.

Fautanu's high-energy style does lead to a hurried, frenetic pace that rushers who know how to set up their moves with stutters, hesitations and tempo can take advantage of to get him out of position, leading to oversets and a soft inside shoulder. That should be mitigated to an extent with a move inside (having to deal with less space prior to first contact), but it's a balancing act that he will need to iron out to lessen his variance and become a more steady pass-protector.

Overall, Fautanu is a twitched-up, explosive blocker with excellent length and a tone-setting demeanor who projects best inside at guard with tackle versatility in his back pocket. His tools and skill set should land him a starting job right away, and he has Pro Bowl potential within his first contract as he settles into a full-time role inside.

GRADE: 8.3 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st Round/Early 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 16

POSITION RANK: IOL1

PRO COMPARISON: Ali Marpet

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

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