The new Saints tackle fits perfectly in the new offensive system.
The New Orleans Saints selected offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State with the 14th overall pick on Thursday night.
The Saints selected Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick. Fuaga fits right into Kubiak’s offense pic.twitter.com/Lskazsmgct
— Kyle ⚜️ | 504.Saints (@KyleBesson504) April 26, 2024
Fuaga, 22, is 6’6 and 324 pounds. In his large frame, the former Oregon State Beaver moves fast for his size and has great initial quickness. While run blocking, Fuaga gets to the second level in the blink of an eye and goes from block to block creating gaps for the ball carrier, fitting him perfectly into new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system.
Fuaga said he’s incredibly comfortable playing in a wide zone scheme. That’s what the Saints will run next year
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) April 26, 2024
The Saints ranked in the league’s bottom half in rushing yards and were second worst in yards per attempt. Adding Fuaga is the first step to New Orleans rebuilding their offensive line which has seen big losses over the past month.
For pass protection, Fuaga has initial quickness that gets him to his stance early in the snap. While there are some concerns about Fuaga’s arm length, he has a powerful lower half that allows him to control the defender. During his time at Oregon State, the First-Team All-American only allowed five quarterback hits and didn’t allow a single sack in his 25 starts.
Taliese Fuaga in 2023:
339 pass-blocking snaps
12 QB pressures allowed
0 sacks allowed— PFF NO Saints (@PFF_Saints) April 26, 2024
New Orleans had issues with both run and pass blocking during the 2023 season, with uncertainty surrounding veteran RT Ryan Ramcyzk’s health, New Orleans selected an offensive lineman in round one and are likely to draft more in later rounds. Fuaga played his full collegiate career as a right tackle but offers the ability to move to the inside if needed. Wherever Fuaga takes his first snaps, he’s an instant day-one starter and will make an immediate impact on the Saints offense.
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