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NFL Draft Film Breakdown: Should Bengals Target Washington Tackle Troy Fautanu?

Cincinnati has the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mike Santagata

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Troy Fautanu started at left tackle for the Washington Huskies in each of the past two seasons. He made a couple of starts at left guard as well, showing that he has some versatility to kick inside if a team believes he'll be a better guard. 

Fautanu won the 2023 Morris Trophy which is given to the best offensive lineman in the PAC-12 as voted on by the defensive linemen that these players face. He beat out fellow prospects Jackson Powers-Johnson and Taliese Fuaga, who are both projected to be first round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

He had one of the best workouts by an offensive lineman at the NFL Combine. 

Let’s get into Fautanu as a player and why he was so successful at Washington:

Where He Excels

  • Fautanu is one of the most intelligent players at any position in this draft. His ability to pick up stunts is second to none. He has pristine eye discipline, communication, and processing to know what the defense is trying to do. He’s never out of position or late on a stunt pickup. This also translates to when he’s dealing with blitzes, slants, and when he’s got a big dual read.
  • Fautanu has a variety of aggressive sets in pass protection that allow him to take the fight to the defender. He likes to jump set to limit the space between him and the defender. Sometimes starting with one vertical kick before jumping out to the defender to keep them off balance. These jumps allow him to get hands on the defender quick and win the rep immediately while taking away all of the space between them.
  • He uses a very effective snatch trap against defender trying to attack him with their length and strength. It felt like every time a defender tried to put a hand into his chest he would respond with a snatch trap that would put the defender onto their face.
  • Fautanu has the power you look for in run blocking. He jolts defenders on contact and then frequently strains and sustains the block while driving them throughout the rep. It’s pretty common to see him finish them into the ground as well.
  • His athleticism translates to the field. He works extremely well in space and can be used in a variety of ways. Whether it’s on screens, pulling, or when he climbs to the second level. He tracks his target and then latches onto them to take them out of the play.
  • His strike timing is nice as well. He will bait defenders into throwing out their move before punching and clamping down. There’s a patience to him when he’s pass protecting that not everyone has in college.

Areas of Concern

  • He lost most commonly because he would overset, open his hips early, and get beaten to the inside. The losses usually happen when he’s working in space after three or four kicks. 
  • Fautanu relies on two-hand punching in pass protection as his initial plan of attack. He needs to use a variety of punches to keep his opponents guessing on how they can attack him at the NFL level.
  • He’s 23 years old, which makes him one of the older prospects in this draft. He didn’t truly dominate the collegiate level until he was a senior. He will be in his late 20s, rather than his mid 20s when his rookie contract finishes up.

Overall Thoughts

Fautanu is a refined and versatile piece that any offensive line room would welcome.

He has a variety of sets that he can use in pass protection along with very refined hand placement and patient timing. He can punish defenders who use long arm bullrushes with his snatch trap while also ending a rush before it starts with a jump set. 

He does his best work when he limits the space between him and the defender. If they’re in any alignment other than a wide 9, he should respond with a set that is 30 degrees or less. It would behoove him to use different initial punches. He leaned on the two hand punch just a little bit too much and NFL defenders can and will take advantage of that. When he got in space against guys with a true 3-way go, he seemed to lose to the inside a little bit too much. He would take one extra kick, open his hips early, or lose hand placement and struggle to recover. Because of the way he excels and likes to play, he seems to fit better at guard than he does at tackle. There’s nothing in his profile that says he cannot play tackle, but he works so well as a guard being aggressive and taking away space that this may be his best fit.

When it comes to run blocking, Fautanu can deliver jolts that knock back defenders on contact. He frequently stays attached so he can strain and sustain the block while driving them further out of the hole. Once in awhile he goes for kill shots but you can reel that back in a little bit at the next level. His athleticism shines when he works out on screens, pulls, or when he’s just climbing to the second level. He takes good angles and tracks down his targets before driving them out of the play. Washington had a varied run game and Fautanu excelled at every block that they asked him to make.

Scheme Fit

Fautanu fits well with most schemes. He has the chops to pass protect on high volume spread offenses while also having experience and success in a variety of run schemes. He might fit best with a team that will use a variety of run schemes and screens to get him in space and weaponize his athleticism.

Grade

Mid-Late 1st Round

Pro Comparison

Elgton Jenkins

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Mike Santagata
MIKE SANTAGATA

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