As a group, the Washington Huskies impressed at the NFL combine in Indianapolis and one of the biggest winners overall appears to be left tackle Troy Fautanu. After measuring in with 34 1/2-inch arms and impressing with his athletic testing, he convinced teams he could play on the outside in the NFL and not just at guard, where many had him projected.
He appears to have locked up his position as a first-round pick in April’s draft and Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema appears to agree, naming Fautanu one of the biggest risers from the combine.
“Fautanu already ranked inside the top 25 on the PFF big board headed into combine week, but he’s still the first name we mention on this list,” Sikkema said.
“Fautanu tested very well with a 5.01-second 40-yard dash, 32.5-inch vertical, and a 9-foot-5 broad jump. Nonetheless, we already knew he was one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the class. The biggest reason he entered the top 20 is that he measured in with 34.5-inch arms. Length was a potential question mark for him – as there were some hints of him moving from left tackle to an interior spot – but 34.5 inches ranks in the 68th percentile for tackles in the NFL.”
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The All-American tackle has some stiff competition in the 2024 draft class, which some experts are considering the best class for offensive linemen in a long time. Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, and Georgia’s Amarius Mims are also considered to be first-round locks, which could push Fautanu further up draft boards.
One potential fit for Fautanu inside the top 20 selections would reunite him with some familiar faces in his former offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and former offensive line coach Scott Huff with the Seattle Seahawks.
Head coach Mike Macdonald’s team is looking for more help along the offensive line and Fautanu would be able to provide the flexibility to play tackle or guard to help protect quarterback Geno Smith.