The New Orleans Saints selected Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the No. 14 pick in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft.
After arriving at Oregon State during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, Fuaga developed into a two-year starting right tackle for the Beavers; he finished his run as arguably the top run blocker in America. Fuaga started 25 games between 2022 and ’23, earning first-team All-America status last season.
At 6-5, 324 pounds, Fuaga is balanced and built like a rock, incredibly difficult to move once his base is planted. Physical and consistent in the run game, Fuaga’s ability to root people out of a gap is top-notch and his punch can knock defenders cold.
Length-wise, Fuaga (33 1/8) is basically average and uses his power to overcome that deficiency. However, there are times when he’s gone too far with it, resulting in flags. He can lunge at times in protection and is a bit stiff in the lower half. He could have a future inside at guard but feels ready to contribute now at right tackle.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Fuaga ranked No. 17 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Overall, Fuaga has only average play range and can be dinged here and there for minor flaws, but he has the size, core strength and balance to be a plug-and-play starter in the NFL (reminiscent of Taylor Decker). Some teams view him best inside at guard, while others want to keep him at right tackle (Duke Manyweather compares him to Mike Iupati).”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Fuaga in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“He’s so physical and very explosive. He is a friggin’ powerhouse. He really moves people in the run game.”
Why he’s a first-round pick
An All-American and team captain in 2023, Fuaga has what everyone covets: Ability in the run game. He’s a true people-mover and arguably the best one in this class. There are concerns with pass pro consistency but his toughness is outstanding.
RT Taliese Fuaga held his own vs. Adisa Isaac today.
This is one of his favorite moves – show outside hand before taking it away, leaving the rusher chopping air. Great finish from Fuaga. pic.twitter.com/C1B9IK87ku
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 31, 2024
Analysis
The rush on quarterbacks is going to really help out a lot of teams in the back half of the draft. It also helped the Saints in a big, big way. Fuaga was a top-two tackle on some NFL boards and in the top three on several more. There’s not a team in the NFL in need of a tackle more than the Saints, and they just landed a road-grader. Fuaga was dominant at times on the right side for the Beavers last season, arguably the best run blocker in the country at 6-foot-5, 324 pounds. This is a culture pick as much as anything else, too. Fuaga will help improve the team’s overall toughness up front. Great value for the Saints here in the middle of the first. Grade: A
(Photo: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
