Free agency is a few weeks old, and the NFL combine is over. We are officially in mock draft season. And while we know mock drafts are more “entertaining” than “science,” they are fun to look at. CBS Sports put a twist on a Mock Draft by having former NFL General Manager Rick Spielman, former NFL player Bryant McFadden, and NFL Draft insider Ryan Wilson collaborate on a Mock Draft in which they alternated picks and were allowed to make trades.
Miami’s pick was made by Rick Spielman, who was in Miami’s front office from 2000 through 2004, and in 2004 he was the Dolphins general manager. He didn’t make a trade for the Dolphins, and with the 21st overall pick, he has Miami selecting…
Round 1, Pick #21: Troy Fautanu, G – Washington
“Rick Spielman — The Dolphins replenish what they lost along the offensive line in free agency by taking Troy Fautanu.”
NFL.com Draft Profile
Strengths
- Plays with lateral hustle to make back-side and play-side zone blocks.
- Works to center and land with firmness post-contact.
- Generates push from lower half on down blocks and double-teams.
- Sets out to rusher with good lateral quickness and knee bend.
- Maintains active hands and feet to stay in front of the rusher.
- Keeps weight back to avoid being countered off-balance in protection.
Weaknesses
- Longer opponents gain extension and rid him of block sustain.
- Run-blocking technique eventually gets away from him.
- Has issues with hand slippage due to inconsistent placement.
- Slow to fire his pass punch and rarely closes rusher down with hand latch.
- Gets beaten inside when he’s too eager and oversets the edge.
Overview
Ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game. Fautanu has starting experience at tackle and guard and is well-coached, but he will default to unruly hand-fighting when his technique gets away from him. He plays with average hand placement and can be beaten by length, but his tenacity and footwork keep him connected to base blocks. He’s capable of getting to reach blocks in zone and chaperoning running backs wide as a pulling guard on the next level. He’s a pop-and-reset pass puncher who uses active hands and feet to help with extended mirroring he’s forced into. Fautanu needs to prove he has the leverage and hand quickness to play inside, but all signs point toward him becoming a good future starter.
The Draft Network
Strengths:
- Physical run blocker
- Athletic ability
- Positional flexibility
Concerns:
- Arm length/wingspan
- Hand technique
- Overly aggressive
Film Analysis:
Troy Fautanu has been a bookend tackle for the Washington Huskies for two consecutive seasons. He has impressive athletic ability. Fautanu gets out of his stance with the quickness needed to take the wind out of a defender’s pass rush. Impressive lateral agility to mirror rushers without surrendering leverage. He possesses quick and nimble feet.
He has heavy, strong hands to halt defenders in their tracks. Once he latched his hands onto a defender, he controlled the reps well. Fautanu does a good job running his feet to drive and displace defenders in the power run game.
One of the bigger question marks for Fautanu is his arm length. It looks less than the ideal length. Fautanu punches in pass pro and hand placement can be a little sloppy and wild. This lessens his overall effectiveness and makes him work harder to secure the rep. Everyone loves his aggressiveness as a blocker but it can create issues. He will overset in pass protection at times. While lunging to bury a defender in the run game.
Fautanu projects best as a guard at the next level. I am a believer in allowing failure before changing positions. Could he be the next Rashawn Slater or a Pro Bowl mauling guard? Endless possibilities.
Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Pro Bowl Caliber
Grier will gind a way to muck thingd up.