Troy Fautanu Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

School: Washington

Class: Redshirt Junior

Position: OT

HT: 6’4

WT: 317 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #25

Background: Troy Fautanu has been able to show off a rare versatility along the offensive line ever since his early playing days. Fautanu is from Henderson, Nevada and played for Liberty High School. Troy was a 4-star recruit and was a consensus top 300 player in the country. Fautanu played as both a defensive and offensive lineman at Liberty, excelling at both. He was named a Nevada First Team selection. At Liberty, he used his size to play volleyball as well, showing off his athleticism and elite footwork. Fautanu chose to play for Washington over USC and Notre Dame.

College: Troy did not see any game action until the shortened 2020 season where he played in all 4 of Washington’s games. In 2021, he started 3 games and moved around along the offensive line. He played guard and tackles for the Huskies and emerged as one of their best linemen. Fautanu started every game for Washington in 2022, starting the season at left tackle but playing most of the season at left guard. He was named to the All-PAC 12 Second Team. As a senior in 2023, Fautanu was named Third Team All-America and All-Pac 12 First Team. Fautanu also won the Morris Trophy for the best offensive lineman in the conference.

Strengths: Troy Fautanu is a hard-nose, physical offensive tackle who likes to get his hands dirty. He is a violent player, playing with a certain aggression that is rare even for a tackle. Fautanu has long arms that always seem to get to the opponent’s chest, perfectly placed to stunt them off their rush. Fautanu is a strong blocker, but he is also a fluid mover. His hip and ankle flexion make him an excellent blocker out in space. He is able to effortlessly move to the second level of the defense in order to create a running lane for the ball carrier. His high football IQ and awareness allow him to scan the field in front of him and pick up assignments or stunts rather quickly. As a pass protector, he displays quick footwork. He maintains a clean pocket by using this footwork to drive the rusher far upfield and behind the play. He wins with technique more often than he wins with pure power.

Weaknesses: Fautanu’s biggest downfall is his size. He has decent arm length, but he is far smaller than the prototypical NFL offensive tackle. He may be served better at right tackle or even kicking inside to guard. Fautanu’s lack of size is apparent when blocking a bull rush. His core strength is not up to par to combat the pure power rushers of the NFL. Additionally, when trying to work rushers upfield or around the pocket, he tends to give up either the outside corner right off the snap or he opens up too much on the inside to allow free rushers into the gap.

Conclusion: Troy Fautanu has had nothing but success at Washington, he projects as a great NFL player but his size could be a deterrent. He would succeed as a guard or as a right tackle but he may struggle blocking the blindside.

Scheme Fit: Gap Rushing Offense

Ideal Role: Right Tackle

Best Team Fits: NYJ, LAR, LV

Player Comparison: Rashawn Slater

Player Grade: 87.3