Is it possible for a prospect to simultaneously be polarizing and expected to be drafted really high? If so, that’s Washington OT Troy Fautanu. Some expect that he could be drafted in the top half of the first round. Some expect that he’ll play guard at the next level. He himself has said he’s willing to play wherever but that he’s a tackle first and foremost.
Former NFL DE Chris Canty seems sure of one thing: Fautanu will one day have a bust in Canton, Ohio. On Tuesday’s episode of Unsportsmanlike on ESPN Radio, Canty presented a list of five no-doubt Hall of Fame players in the upcoming draft. Fautanu was fourth. For the record, Canty believes that he’ll be a guard at the next level.
“This is a guy that could stop defensive linemen dead in their tracks with his initial punch,” Canty said. “But he’s got the athleticism to be able to stay in front of those quick, jump-around guys that might reduce down from being an edge rusher to a defensive tackle on sub-packages…One of the things you watch for offensive linemen is can they play in space. Because often times, NFL defenses will try to put them in conflict, to force them to play in space. And Troy Fautanu has shown the ability to do so. So he is a no-doubter, gonna be a Hall of Fame guy at the end of his career.”
Fautanu will be a polarizing figure for the Steelers. He played offensive tackle for Washington and was named third-team All-American in 2023. He also won the Morris Trophy for best offensive lineman in the PAC-12 as voted by opposing defensive linemen. The Steelers also need to upgrade their pass protection. Dan Moore Jr. had a poor 2023 at the left tackle spot.
The Steelers also brought in two quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who have been sacked a ton lately. So the need is there.
Pittsburgh has also done its due diligence and then some on Fautanu. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer attended Washington’s Pro Day to see him in person. The Steelers also reportedly met with him privately prior to the Pro Day. Then the Steelers brought him to Pittsburgh for an official pre-draft visit. That’s a lot of time spent with him.
The problem is that Fautanu isn’t the tallest, which usually leads to arm-length issues. The Steelers have historically favored offensive tackles who are at least 6-5. Fautanu technically checks in at just under 6-4 (6036 at the NFL Scouting Combine).
However, Fautanu’s arm length at the Combine checked in at 34 1/2 inches. That’s only 1/4 of an inch shorter than last year’s first-round pick, OT Broderick Jones. The Steelers prefer their offensive tackles to have at least 33 1/2 inches, so Fautanu does check that box. Perhaps he’s got enough length to overlook his height issues, especially if Russell Wilson starts at quarterback.
Where Fautanu makes up for questions about his height is with his athleticism. I looked at the offensive tackles who have played for or been drafted by Arthur Smith’s teams during his career and came up with an average Relative Athletic Score. It’s simply a way of judging the raw testing and measurements against other players at the position historically. The average score of Smith’s tackles in 9.64. Some have scored higher, and some have scored lower.
Fautanu scored a 9.62, just 0.02 under the average. He took a big hit for his height, but he posted elite speed and explosive scores relative to other offensive tackles. So, there is certainly the possibility that Fautanu could play offensive tackle due to his strength and athletic prowess.
If a team does take Fautanu and kicks him inside to guard as Canty says, the athletic numbers get even better. When compared against offensive guards historically, Fautanu’s RAS jumped up to 9.94. He would actually be the highest-scoring guard Smith has coached.
We know that raw athleticism alone does not make a player great. However, when you take Fautanu’s tape and then he tests incredibly well at 317 pounds, it’s easy to see why teams are very interested in him. Hence why the Steelers have met with him a number of times.
Will Canty’s prediction prove correct? Only time will tell. However, if you have an opportunity to draft a player who is that skilled and athletic, you might just want to jump on that and sort out the particulars later. Get good players and figure out how to cater to their skills after.
Just don’t expect Hall of Fame performances out of the gate for any rookie, please.
