The NFL Draft concluded on Saturday and the New Orleans Saints selected seven college players to join their ranks.
Four of the team’s seven picks came on the offensive side of the ball, including first-round pick, Offensive Tackle, Taliese Fuaga.
Taliese Fuaga
Accolades:
- 2023 FWAA, 247Sports, ESPN and Pro Football Focus All-America First Team
- 2023 Associated Press, AFCA, Walter Camp, The Sporting News, The Athletic and USA Today All-America Second Team
- 2023 All-Pac-12 and AP All-Pac-12 First Team
- 2023 Polynesian Player of the Year Finalist
- 2023 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award Semifinalist
- 2022 PFF All-America Honorable Mention
- 2022 All-Pac-12 and Associated Press All-Pac-12 Second Team
- 2022 PFF All-Pac-12 First Team
- 2022 Polynesian College Football Player Of The Year Watch List
Fuaga an offensive tackle out of Oregon State is the school’s first first-round selection since the Saints drafted wide receiver Brandin Cooks with the 20th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Strengths
- According to the33rdteam.com, “In 2023, he was run behind the fourth-most among guard prospects, boasting the second-highest positive play percentage when run behind (55 percent).”
- 88.2 overall grade, 90.9 run blocking grade and 80.0 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.
- Great size at 6’6 334 pounds
Weaknesses
- Fuaga’s 33” arms are short for an offensive lineman of his caliber
- Aggressiveness leaves him vulnerable to being beat
- Stance can be stiff
Bottomline
Fuaga is a necessity for a Saint’s offensive line that struggled in the run game in 2023.
New Orleans ended the season 21st in rush yards per game and 31st in yards per rush.
Fuaga is a key piece in rebuilding the Saints’ offensive line after last year’s first-round pick offensive lineman Trevor Penning did not flourish in season one like the team expected and fourth-round offensive lineman Nico Saldiveri only played 18 snaps in 2023.
Fuaga will have the opportunity to succeed with the Saints after the team initiated an offensive rebuild, hiring a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
Rating: B+
