Tag: troy fautanu

List of National team offensive linemen at 2024 Senior Bowl

List of National team offensive linemen at 2024 Senior Bowl

As we continue getting a quick look at the Senior Bowl players this year, we now check out the offensive linemen for the National team. With offensive line a major need for the Jets this offseason, this group could be heavily focused on by general manager Joe Douglas and company. A good week in Mobile for these guys will go a long way toward deciding where and when they will ultimately get drafted.

Included in this group is a name already tagged as potential option at No. 10 for the Jets, Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga. He has a chance to really stand out this week and solidify his standing among the top offensive tackles in this class.

Coaching the National team offensive line this year are Chris Cook of the Cardinals and Jim Dray of the Bears.

Jaguars mock drafts: 9 prospects experts say could be the pick

There’s no consensus for what the Jaguars should do with the No. 17 pick, but a few prospects are standing out as good options.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will pick 17th in the 2024 NFL draft, but there isn’t much consensus about which direction the team should take.

At nflmockdraftdatabase.com, no one player has been paired with the Jaguars in more than 11 percent of the nearly 500 projections of the draft they’ve surveyed so far.

Still, there are a few needs that jump out as the potential top priority for the Jaguars in the offseason. Namely, the offensive and defensive lines, as well as wide receiver and cornerback.

With the draft now three months away, there are a group of prospects who experts have projected to be the likeliest candidates to be the Jaguars’ pick in April:

Packers go OL-S-CB in Dane Brugler’s latest two-round mock draft

The Packers beefed up the offensive line and got help for the secondary in Dane Brugler’s latest two-round mock draft for The Athletic.

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is 100 days away. To help draft nerds everywhere celebrate, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released a two-round mock draft for us to digest. Let’s take a look at who he has the Green Bay Packers selecting:

25th overall: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington

The starting left tackle for the best offensive line in college football, Fautanu finished his career at Washington with 31 starts, with 29 coming at left tackle and two coming at left guard. The Washington left tackle has the feet and lateral quickness to stick at left tackle. 

From Brugler:

The Packers haven’t drafted a first-round offensive lineman in more than a dozen years (2011), but I really like this fit. A college left tackle, Fautanu has the feet and length to stay outside, but a lot of scouts feel his skill set is ideally suited at guard.

As Brugler mentioned, the Packers haven’t selected an offensive lineman since they drafted Dered Sherrod with the 32nd overall pick in the 2011 draft. 

Even if the Packers opt to move on from David Bakhtiari this offseason, Rasheed Walker has played well enough to take up the mantle from the veteran left tackle. 

What about depth? If the Packers move on from Bakhtiari, Yosh Nijman is set to be a free agent, leaving the offensive tackle room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue a lonely place.

Fautanu could be a plug-and-play starter at either tackle or guard. While Walker has played well at left tackle, there have been games in which he looked like a revolving door (at home against the Detroit Lions, against the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers). It’s never a bad thing to have quality depth at the second most important position in football.

41st overall: Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State

Jaden Hicks is one of my favorite prospects in the upcoming draft. Hicks is an active run defender and explodes downhill to meet the ball carrier. Hicks has disciplined eyes and arrives on time to disrupt the catch point. Line him up in the slot, in the box or deep, it doesn’t matter, the physicality that Hicks plays with is exactly what Green Bay’s defense needs. 

From Brugler:

Hicks (6-2, 215) is an intimidating presence with the way he fills or tunes up receivers crossing the middle. But his athletic profile is also a strong selling point and helps his versatility to play nickel, box or deep.

58th overall: Kalen King, CB, Penn State

Kalen King at 58th overall and it’s Green Bay’s pick? Nobody would have bought that sentence back in September. At the beginning of the season, King was viewed as a Top 25 pick. The Penn State cornerback has had an up and down season, highlighted by his performance against Marvin Harrison Jr and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Newsflash, Harrison Jr made a lot of cornerbacks look silly and he’ll continue to do so on Sundays. Despite the up and down season, King has all the tools to develop into a lockdown cornerback.

From Brugler:

The Packers’ secondary has been an adventure this season. It ranked bottom five in several coverage metrics, including opponents’ first downs-per-attempt rate (36.1) and touchdown passes allowed-to-interceptions ratio (3.0). Adding more cornerback help makes sense, especially if a promising (albeit inconsistent) prospect like King is available.

Final thoughts

If this were the way the first two rounds played out for the Packers, it would be a great start for Brian Gutekunst. 

The top of this offensive tackle class is viewed as special and it would be wise of Gutekunst to get in on the action. With the emergence of Walker and Zach Tom, the position is no longer viewed as a pressing need, but the fact remains you can never have enough quality offensive lineman. 

Addressing the secondary early is a must, as Green Bay has arguably one of the worst safety depth charts in football. Hicks would bring much-needed physicality and playmaking ability to the defense. 

Adding King would mean that the Penn State product would battle it out with Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine for the right to start across from Jaire Alexander.

Washington OL Troy Fautanu declares for the 2024 NFL draft

Washington OL Troy Fautanu declares for the 2024 NFL draft

With multiple stars already set up at the tackle position for this upcoming class, it gets even heavier with the news that Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu declared for the 2024 NFL Draft.

For the last two seasons for the Huskies, Fautanu has been a staple along their offensive line at the left tackle position as their entrenched starter. During his two seasons as the blindside protector Fautanu was one of the most successful and reliable tackles in the country blocking for a team that eventually made the national championship game. During that stretch, Fautanu gave up just two sacks and four quarterback hits.

Fautanu played offensive lineman consistently at a high level and has plenty of athleticism to back up his game for the next level. Having played both guard and tackle during his time in Washington he showed he can anchor either position and could be asked to kick inside during the draft process. Versatility and production are invaluable at the next level, and as such Fautanu should hear his name called within the top 50 selections of the 2024 NFL Draft.

10 prospects to watch for Packers fans in CFB National Championship game

Here are 10 names for Green Bay Packers fans to watch tonight.

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is 108 days away and the National Championship matchup between the University of Washington and Michigan features five prospects that have a real shot of hearing their name called on April 25th. 

Rome Odunze, Washington’s No. 1 wide receiver could be the third wide receiver off the board and he’ll likely go in the Top 15. 

Teams in search of a quarterback that miss out on Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will likely turn to Washington’s Michael Penix Jr or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.

In the trenches, Washington’s left tackle Troy Fautanu has a realistic shot of being a first-round pick. Bralen Trice, one of Washington’s talented edge rushers also has first-round aspirations.

Those five are the headliners in a National Championship game that features plenty of talented NFL Draft prospects. Here are 10 names for Green Bay Packers fans to watch tonight.

Dominique Hampton, DB, Washington

Hampton is a versatile safety that can line up in the slot, in the box or deep. He has outstanding size and length for the position. Hampton enters the matchup tonight with 99 tackles, two interceptions and six pass deflections. 

Dillon Johnson, RB, Washington

Johnson is hard-nosed and slippery. He keeps his legs driving through contact and always seems to fall forward. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson picked up 673 yards after contact this season.

Rod Moore, S, Michigan

Will he stay or will he go? The Michigan safety missed the beginning of the season and started off slow. The rust started to wear off and he’s recorded 15 tackles and one interception over the past three games. With a strong showing against Washington’s aerial attack, Moore could vault for the NFL and be a day-three target for the Packers.

LaDarius Henderson, OL, Michigan

Henderson has tackle-guard versatility. Michigan’s starting left tackle and the Arizona State transfer has taken snaps at every position along the offensive line except for center. With his length and versatility, Henderson could be the next day three offensive lineman the Packers target.

Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan

Edwards is an explosive runner and a weapon in the passing game. He enters the game with 68 career receptions and three receiving touchdowns. While a dynamic threat, Edwards is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry this season and could opt to return to school. If he declares, Edwards could be a versatile and dynamic weapon for the Packers.

Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington

Like Henderson, Fautanu offers tackle-guard versatility. Unlike Henderson though, Fautanu is a Top 50 prospect and could be a potential target for the Packers with the New York Jets’ second-round pick. The Washington left tackle has quick feet and the lateral quickness to stick at left tackle on Sundays.

Kris Jenkins, DL, Michigan

The man nicknamed The Mutant and the nephew of Cullen Jenkins, is a powerful defensive lineman. To go along with all that raw power, Jenkins is quick out of his stance, showcasing explosive movements to get upfield quickly and disrupt the action in the backfield.

Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Edge, Washington

The Washington edge rusher’s calling card is his power. He has adequate initial quickness and converts speed to power. ZTF projects as a late-day three selection and would provide quality depth behind Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness.

Trevor Keegan, G, Michigan

The Michigan starter at left guard, Keegan has been a brick wall in pass protection this season. According to PFF, Keegan has given up zero sacks this season and yielded just 11 pressures. A year after drafting zero offensive linemen, Brian Gutekunst could target Keegan to add depth along the interior of the offensive line.

Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington

From walk-on to captain, Ulofoshio plays with the relentless play style that Green Bay’s defense occasionally lacks. With his competitive spirit, football IQ and leadership, Ulofoshio could be a day-three target for the Packers as they look to improve on special teams and potentially replace De’Vondre Campbell.

2024 NFL draft: Bowl season offensive tackle big board

2024 NFL draft: Bowl season offensive tackle big board from Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon

Bowl season just kicked off over the weekend with a trio of exhibitions. It kicks into full force in the coming days. It’s a good time to update some positional rankings.

As of now, this is how I rank the offensive tackles. It’s a very impressive class overall, with a few different flavors that will appeal to certain teams more than they do others. I broke down a little of that with Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu here.

Note: I rank Duke’s Graham Barton as an interior OL. He’d be sixth on this list.

2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Saints linked to pass rushers, OL, WR

2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Experts predict Saints will target pass rushers, offensive linemen, and wide receivers

Our latest 2024 NFL mock draft roundup found that the experts are predicting the New Orleans Saints will target pass rushers, offensive linemen, and wide receivers with their first pick in the upcoming selection event. And all of those positions make sense for a Saints team that has struggled to win at the line of scrimmage and consistently generate big plays.

Here’s a quick look at the 2024 draft prospects being linked to the Saints:

This two-round 2024 mock draft has the Saints prioritizing the line of scrimmage

This two-round 2024 mock draft has the Saints prioritizing the line of scrimmage, starting with finding Bryan Bresee’s new tag-team partner:

Mock drafts are all the rage, and the bye week presents a good opportunity for New Orleans Saints fans to take a look at which prospects are impressing ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. We’ve got a two-round projection from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire, who has the Saints investing their first-round pick on Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III.

Taylor is a perfect fit at a listed 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, and he’s disruptive with 22.5 tackles for loss in his 28-game career thus far. Bryan Bresee looks like the real deal and pairing him with someone like Taylor could set the Saints up at defensive tackle for years to come. They could lose Malcolm Roach in free agency in the spring which opens a slot in the rotation. Nathan Shepherd has played the most snaps at defensive tackle this season but he’s going to turn 31 next year in the second year of his three-year contract. Adding Taylor could help the Saints get younger and faster up front.

But the Saints’ pick in the second round of this mock draft would be a good get, too. Popejoy has them taking Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at the No. 45 pick coming back from the Denver Broncos. Fautanu is someone we highlighted in our own recent five-round projection as someone who could help the Saints out at either left tackle or left guard, where things are very uncertain moving forwards.

Andrus Peat has looked like their best player at left tackle after taking over for Trevor Penning after he was benched, but he’s a free agent in the spring, and James Hurst hasn’t been that impressive at either spot. Maybe Fautanu can help the Saints figure out a long-term plan at one of those positions. Either way, the Saints are not winning at the line of scrimmage often enough on either side of the ball this season, and it’s clear that they should continue to invest in their offensive and defensive lines to get better up front.

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Saints invest in the trenches in 5-round 2024 mock draft

The Saints made the trenches a priority in this five-round 2024 mock draft, starting off strong with Florida State sack artist Jared Verse:

It’s a rainy Saturday in November with tons of 2024 NFL draft prospects competing in their college matchups, so we’ll take a spin on the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator to try and find some help for the New Orleans Saints.

Obviously it’s too soon to seriously guess about their team needs when we’re only midway through the current regular season (with a busy free agency period on the horizon), but it’s worth keeping tabs on who is impressing college football fans and NFL scouts ahead of the next draft cycle.

With that in mind, here are our picks through five rounds with analysis for each selection: