PROSPECT SUMMARY - AUSTIN FAOLIU

Austin Faoliu is a defensive lineman out of the Oregon Ducks program. He plays with adequate athleticism on the interior, as evidenced in his agility as a pass rusher. In the run game, he does a good job of moving laterally to get to the football. In the passing game, he has been somewhat effective in limited moments. He doesn’t have a lot of pass rush moves but plays with a good motor and effort to get to the quarterback. His ceiling is likely as a developmental player who could someday give you some value in passing situations.

Ideal Role: Developmental player.

Scheme Fit: 4-3 defensive scheme.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by Drae Harris

Games watched: Oregon State (2019), USC (2020), Washington St. (2020)

Best Game Studied: Oregon State (2019)

Worst Game Studied: USC (2020)

First-Step Explosion: His first-step explosion is less than ideal. He is not a good athlete but has some explosive power in his hips and hands.

Flexibility: He doesn’t project with good positional flexibility. He lacks ideal size for NFL standards. As a result, he is only a fit in a 4-3 defense.

Hand Counters: He could afford to use his hands better as a rusher. He hasn’t been very effective, but could add value if he refines his technique.

Hand Power: He has moments of playing with explosive power in his hands. He has shown moments of disengaging at the point of attack and getting to the football with urgency.

Run Defending: He needs to do a better job of playing the run more consistently. He loses gap integrity in what seems to be an attempt to go off script to cause disruption.

Effort: His effort has been inconsistent. There are moments where he’s chasing plays when he is on the backside and moments where he lags. It could possibly be due to conditioning.

Football IQ: He would play the run better if he played with better instincts. Either that or learning to decipher blocking schemes quicker, allowing him to get to the football.

Lateral Mobility: He displays an adequate level of lateral agility. However, consistently disengaging will be key for him. He will get caught up in trash en route to the football.

Functional Strength: He has good strength overall, as evidenced in his ability to disengage and get to the ball. He is hard to drive block with one player.

Versatility: He lacks true versatility. This is mainly due to his lack of ideal size for the NFL. He is only a fit in a 4-3 defense.