One of the more interesting prospects at offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft is Troy Fautanu. Outside of 99 snaps at left guard, and two snaps at right tackle, he had three very solid seasons at left tackle for the University of Washington. Many have speculated that he could kick inside to guard because he lacks the ideal height to play tackle at the NFL level, but he makes up for it with good arm length.
He measured in at 6036, 317 pounds, with 34 1/2-inch arms at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Typically, 6-4 is the shortest you will see for an NFL tackle, but he well exceeds the minimum ideal arm length of about 33 inches.
He recently was interviewed by Justin Melo of The Draft Network and dismissed the notion of being viewed as a guard because of his height.
“I think I’m a tackle. Grouping me in a category with guards because of how tall I am, I honestly feel like it was a lazy narrative that grew legs for some reason. That’s lazy analysis,” Fautanu said. “Just watch the tape. I played tackle at a high level…I truly feel like I played the tackle position at a legitimately high level.”
Fautanu did indeed put together an impressive resume at the tackle position. He won the 2023 Morris Trophy, given to the Pac-12’s best offensive and defensive linemen. He was a third-team AP All-American and started 15 games for a team that made it all the way to the national championship game.
The last tackle drafted in the first round to be under 6-4 was Isaiah Wynn by the New England Patriots in 2018. He ended up putting together one solid season in New England as the starter at left tackle in 2021, but otherwise has not lived up to the first-round pick that was used on him. He is now a member of the Miami Dolphins and was signed with a base salary of just $1,125,000. Wynn’s arm length wasn’t quite as long, but still a solid 33 3/8 inches.
And there are plenty of tackles who put great tape together at the position in college only to kick inside to guard. Last year, Peter Skoronski was in that boat, though with the opposite problem. He was 6040 at the Combine, but with 32 1/4-inch arms. He was one of the top tackle prospects but ended up getting drafted to play guard for the Tennessee Titans.
Recently, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his comprehensive pre-draft guide, The Beast, and noted that he believes Fautanu is a five-position player who is capable of playing anywhere along the offensive line. I suppose it is possible that the Steelers could be looking at Fautanu as a right tackle prospect, but if he is more comfortable on the left side, it makes a little less sense.
The Steelers have stated their goal of moving Broderick Jones back to the left side of the line eventually, so they clearly view Fautanu as something other than a left tackle. Perhaps they also see the five-position capability and just view him as a good football player. If that is the case, then a first-round pick would be a good investment, the Steelers figuring out where he settles into your system later.
While Fautanu views himself as a tackle, that doesn’t mean he is unwilling to do what is asked of him by his future team.
“For me, I’ll play wherever at this level. I’m willing to play guard or center if that’s what it takes,” Fautanu said. “I took snaps as a center at pro day. I had never done it before. I picked it up pretty quickly. I’m comfortable playing anywhere. My easy answer would be to continue playing tackle…I just want to contribute in any way possible to a winning culture.”
The Steelers had Fautanu in for a pre-draft visit recently. They also sent OL coach Pat Meyer to his pro day, where he reportedly had a private meeting with Fautanu prior to the event. If he lasts to 20, don’t overlook Fautanu as an option.
Check out my in-depth scouting report on Fautanu below. In it, I noted the potential for him to kick inside, but this was prior to any official measurements at the Combine.
