The New Orleans Saints are universally viewed as one of the worst teams in the NFL, but CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan sees the offensive tackle duo of Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. as reasons for optimism moving forward.
That's not a reason many fans want as the reason for optimism, especially Saints fans. Many have grown tired with continuously investing first round picks in linemen, but investing highly in your offensive line is a great recipe for success. The true issue is not hitting on the picks.
Offensive line is an essential building block
You can make a strong argument the offensive line is the most important part of an offense. Quarterbacks will get all the praise and criticism, but nothing moves without your offensive line.
A poor offensive line can hamper the best of quarterbacks, go watch Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV. Mahomes is gifted, but the Chiefs front line was being obliterated by the Buccaneers' pass rush. The inability to protect the quarterback can disrupt his timing, create a nervous quarterback and not give routes time to develop.
In the running game, the talent of your running back is multiplied or downgraded by blocking. A good offensive line can make an average running back look above average. If there aren't holes, however, you may question how good your running back truly is.
Investment in Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr.
The Saints used a first round pick on Fuaga last year, and got an immediate return on investment. The shining moment of his rookie year was going against, then-reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett and blanking him on the stat sheet.
Facing Garrett was Fuaga's biggest test on the schedule, and he aced it. This was halfway through the season, so the offensive tackle was already off to a strong start. That game solidified his positioning. It was just one game, but it showcased Fuaga's potential and where he already was at.
The Saints would be lucky to get that type of immediate performance from Banks. Banks having a similar rookie season to Fuaga would prove Sullivan correct. Sullivan makes the step to place Banks as an offensive tackle.
Tackle feels like the eventual destination for Banks. The only question is does he start there as a rookie or move there later. Whenever that happens the duo of Banks and Fuaga has the potential to spearhead the Saints offense.