As Saints mull offensive tackles, what about Taliese Fuaga? Why he's more than a Plan B (2024)

There are several scenarios that could lead the New Orleans Saints to pick Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga next week when they’re on the clock at No. 14.

If, for instance, the franchise feels Ryan Ramczyk can’t play next season because of a knee injury, Fuaga would be a suitable replacement at right tackle. Or say that Penn State’s Olu Fashanu is taken before New Orleans picks, Fuaga would be a perfectly fine consolation prize. There might even be a world in which the Saints pick Fuaga ahead of Fashanu and other tackles, if they’re convinced the Oregon State product is the best offensive lineman available.

Bottom line: It’s easy to see Fuaga in a Saints uniform.

The prospect file

Oregon State T Taliese Fuaga (pronounced Foo-ah-gah)

• Height: 6-foot-6
• Weight: 324 pounds
• Relative Athletic Score: 9.63
• Notable numbers: Despite playing 700 snaps last season, Fuaga didn’t give up a sack. His 32-inch vertical jump and 111-inch broad jump put him in the 88th and 85th percentile of position, according to MockDraftable. He has smaller hands for a tackle at 33⅛ inches.

Background info

A three star-recruit out of Tacoma, Washington, Fuaga chose Oregon State after receiving offers from USC, Nevada and Oregon. He landed the scholarship offer after being a four-year varsity starter in high school, where he played both sides of the ball. Fuaga comes from a football family, as his three older brothers played the sport, according to The Athletic. Fuaga is one of five children and is of Samoan descent.

At Oregon State, Fuaga didn’t become a starter until the 2022 season. But once he did, he quickly made an impression. He was named second-team All-Pac 12 in 2022, and then a year later, he made the first-team All-Pac 12 — in addition to being an All-American.

Why he makes sense

Fuaga has the size and strength that the Saints prefer out of their tackles, so much so his closest comparable in terms of measurements on MockDraftable is Nick Saldiveri — one of New Orleans’ fourth-round selections from last year.

Fuaga, though, has first-round talent. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called Fuaga a “clean” prospect, one who has quick feet and an explosiveness to him.

“He has some nasty to him,” Jeremiah said.

That nastiness shows up the most in the run game, where Fuaga bulldozes defenders and is able to get to the second level. The Saints struggled running the football last year in part because their linemen weren’t athletic enough to create space and open lanes. Fuaga would seemingly fix that problem. He also comes from a zone-based run scheme, something the Saints will likely implement under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

But Fuaga has also received compliments for his pass protection. HIs scouting report on NFL.com notes that Fuaga has “outstanding” pass protection technique and is able to mirror pass rushers with “exceptional” hand work.

Elsewhere, Fuaga has drawn positive reviews for his leadership. He was named a team captain in 2023, something the Saints value. He has said that he wanted to go to Oregon State because he viewed the program to be “on the rise.” That mentality would likely fit well with Saints, who emphasized the need to improve their culture heading into next season.

Areas of concern

Fuaga only has 33-inch arms, which is why some teams believe he’s better off at moving inside to guard. Though he’s stout and plays with consistent technique, Fuaga’s lack of length could be a problem against bigger and faster edge rushers. One NFC scout told NFL.com that Fuaga might need “help” against speedier edge rushers if he stays on the outside.

For the Saints, there’s also a matter of whether Fuaga could play left tackle. If Ramczyk can go next season, does it make sense to take a right tackle when the left side is such a glaring need? Andrus Peat, last year’s starter at left tackle, is a free agent, and 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning remains a work in progress.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said he believes Fuaga could play on the left side if required.

“Teams are all going to look at it a little bit differently in terms of how easy can he make that transition,” Brugler said. “I'm not sure how the Saints feel, but that's something that I know there's plenty of debate from team to team about how each one of these guys, if they can make that transition over the left side. And that's why you have these offensive line coaches going around to pro days and during these private workouts, just to see (them) put them through these drills, see how comfortable they are. The offensive line coaches play a big part in those decisions.”