Dolphins Prospect Profile of Washington OL Troy Fautanu

Continuing with the Dolphins prospect profile series here on DolphinsTalk.com, we revisit the offensive line. General manager Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins have pick number 21 in the first round of the NFL Draft. Miami lost several key players this offseason, mainly in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The selection process will likely address the need for defensive tackle and edge. However, the offensive line needs improvement and/or upgrade.

The Draft is a living, breathing entity that changes with each pick. Miami would love to see a few players fall to 21 if there are heavy runs of quarterbacks and wide receivers in the top 20. There may be a few realistic shots at players who should require zero time off the draft clock if they are still on the board. If Washington OL Troy Fautanu is the best player available, Miami must run the ticket to the podium.  A left tackle who could play guard if needed, his name could very well be called before Miami gets a chance. It’s a long shot, but anything can happen in the Annual Player Selection Meeting.

Relative Athleticism Score (RAS)

Relative Athleticism Score is strong with Fautanu. RAS is an excellent metric for compiling all measurables and attributes during Combine and Pro Day drills, making one number of an athleticism assessment. In Fautanu’s case, a 9.64 is nothing to overlook. He isn’t the tallest offensive tackle prospect in this draft at 6’4” and has solid overall size at 317. His speed is excellent for the position. Fautanu ran a top-8 40-yard dash within the position group last month at the NFL Combine at 5.01. Regarding the Combine’s rankings, he was the second-ranked offensive tackle in Athleticism Score (87) and third in Overall Score (86). His speed and quickness allow him to get out in the running game, potentially as a pulling guard.

While his overall technique needs some work, he has the physicality and the arm length to be an effective tackle in the NFL. His 34.5 arm length is a bit longer than other tackle/guard prospects and similar to the top-end offensive lineman in the class. Top offensive tackle, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, measures at 34.5. Similarly, Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu measures 34, and Taliese Fuaga measures 33.125. These are simply metrics to accompany on-field performance and help in the evaluation process.

 

Immediate Need and Future Replacement

As mentioned earlier, Miami needs offensive linemen in a major way. While re-signing linemen Kendall Lamm and Isaiah Wynn, Miami lost right guard Robert Hunt to Carolina. Also, unrestricted free agent center Connor Williams is not likely to return.  Williams is still rehabbing a knee injury and is not on an NFL roster at the moment. Additionally, veteran left tackle Terron Armstead may be in his last ride year. He should not be considered a lock for double-digit games played in 2024. Armstead would be an outstanding mentor for Fuatanu, even if having him play guard as a rookie. Miami shows a propensity to move linemen around. Making this is an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Fautanu is a ready-made startable lineman somewhere within the unit in 2024. This potentially leads to being Armstead’s replacement in 2025, with at least five years of potential contract control.

Fautana had a fantastic senior season at Washington. In his 15 games at left tackle, he was named First-Team All-Pac-12. He was also awarded the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s top offensive lineman, on his way to being named a Third-Team Associated Press All-American. In 2022, he played 12 games at left tackle and one at left guard, earning Second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

In his 700 snaps for the Huskies in 2023, he didn’t allow a single sack on the quarterback. Only allowing two QB hits on 12 hurries, Fautanu is an ultimate protector. He has textbook pass-blocking skills with a high upside and athleticism to help a zone-blocking run scheme. His run-blocking is an essential asset of his, especially if he is playing a bit of guard. However, his ability to pass-protect, mixed with coachability and high football intellect, make him an ideal first-round selection for any NFL team needing an instant-impact left tackle.

As for the Miami Dolphins, he could be a future fixture on the left side. This could mean a solid pairing with recently extended RT Austin Jackson as the bookend tackles for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. A pair of first-round tackles protecting the outside areas of the likely heavily invested-in quarterback for the foreseeable future in South Florida.