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Washington's Tackles Are NFL "Sleepers"

The Huskies have been all over "way-too-early" mock drafts, except at offensive tackle
Roman Tomashoff|
Washington's Tackles Are NFL "Sleepers"
Washington's Tackles Are NFL "Sleepers"

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As soon as the NFL Draft concludes, "way-too-early" mock drafts become all the rage. After getting shut out in the 2023 NFL Draft, some of the insanely early mock drafts for 2024 have shown as many as four Huskies in the first round.

Most articles have had edge rushers Zion Tupuola-Fetui and Bralen Trice, as well as wide receiver Rome Odunze, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr., going within the top 32 picks. However, none have included two of the most important pieces to the Washington offense.

Offensive tackles Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten were nothing short of stellar in 2022. Fautanu was an All Pac-12 second team selection and was also named the John P. Angel Offensive Power Player of the Year while anchoring an offensive line that allowed only five sacks of Penix on the season.

On Penix's blind side, Rosengarten was also stellar. As a redshirt freshman, he was named to both the PWAA and College Football News Freshman All-America first team. Both players have all the measurables and athleticism to be drafted in the first round whenever they decide to enter their names in the NFL Draft.

The 2024 draft looks like it's going to have an excellent offensive tackle class, headlined by Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Notre Dame's Joe Alt and Alabama's JC Latham. Since 2020, there have been 25 offensive linemen drafted in the first round and that trend won't be slowing down in 2024.

While tape alone should do the trick to propel Fautanu and Rosengarten into first-round discussions, both possess elite athleticism for 300-pounders and will turn heads at the NFL Combine. Combined with the flexibility to play multiple positions, by the time the 2024 draft rolls around, both will probably end up being considered among the top five or 10 offensive tackles in the country.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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