2024 NFL Draft: Troy Fautanu is a mauler who will bring a dominance along your offensive line

The Arizona Cardinals could use a guard and Troy Fautanu could be the best one in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Over the next couple of weeks, leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft we will take a look at close to 30 prospects to know.

Within that, we will use the excellent work of Dane Brugler, who has just released his “The Beast” 2024 NFL Draft Guide. I highly recommend taking a peek and signing up for The Athletic if only to get Dane’s guide.

It is always an exhaustive work, and he should be commended.

With that said, we will go in order of Dane’s Big Board and use his final analysis as the wrap up of each prospect.

Next up is Dane’s ninth ranked prospect, Troy Fautanu. Is he the missing piece to the Arizona Cardinals offensive line?

Dane’s Take:

A two-year starter at Washington, Fautanu manned the left tackle position in former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s pass-centric scheme. After playing as a backup his first three years with the Huskies, he was an All-Pac-12performer the last two seasons and was awarded the 2023 Morris Trophy (as voted on by conference defensive linemen). With his lower-body agility and flexible hips/knees, Fautanu displays athletic muscle twitch in his pass sets and when pulling and locating in the run game.

Fautanu has started 31 games in his career, across left tackle and left guard and looks like a dominant offensive lineman type. He is a physical player who seeks contact and violence.

Although he needs to become more disciplined with his technique, he flashes violence with his hands and makes defenders feel it when he connects.

That’s the thing with Fautanu, you cannot teach what he already has, which is athleticism and a desire to put his hands through your chest and rip out your heart. But, you can work with him on becoming a more discipline and skillful blocker.

Overall, Fautanu is explosive on the move and at contact with the foot quickness, body control and temperament to stack wins in both pass protection and as a run blocker in the NFL. While he has the talent to remain at tackle, his skill set also projects well to guard and center and he offers legitimate five-position potential at the next level.

If the Cardinals added a Fautanu, he could slot in immediately at left guard and he and Paris Johnson Jr. could be a dynamic and dominant duo for the next decade.

Is he a candidate in a trade down scenario?

Next up… Terrion Arnold.