First thoughts on the Saints 1st round pick.
The New Orleans Saints got exactly what they needed in pick no. 14 in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga.
Taliese Fuaga in 2023:
339 pass-blocking snaps
12 QB pressures allowed
0 sacks allowed— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) April 26, 2024
With the team’s dire need at the offensive tackle position, the selection of Fuaga couldn’t make any more sense for them. There’s been multiple reports that tackle Ryan Ramczyk has lost a lot of weight this offseason potentially indicating his retirement soon. On the other side of the line, the team will look to continue to develop former 1st rounder Trevor Penning in the hopes that he will be the starter this season. In this case, Fuaga slides into the starting lineup comfortably at the right tackle position.
In regard to the player, Fuaga is a beefy and mauler at the position. His aggressive style of play allows him to throw rushers around with ease at the point of attack. His athleticism is another plus when getting to the second level in the run game as well as being able to mirror defenders in his pass sets. Fuaga is also very familiar and had a ton of success with the wide-zone scheme in college, which will be introduced by new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Fuaga felt like one of the most well-versed offensive tackles in this draft from the very beginning. I believe the Saints got this pick right in every area.