Saints select Taliese Fuaga with pick No. 14: Instant grade and analysis

It was clear that the New Orleans Saints needed to draft an offensive tackle in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and that’s exactly what they did, selecting Taliese Fuaga with the 14th-overall pick. The Oregon State tackle has the chance to make an immediate impact for New Orleans as a rookie.

Fuaga spent four seasons with the Beavers, and over the last two years, he was a dominant lineman, carving out run lanes and keeping his quarterback clean. Playing primarily at tackle, the 6-foot-6, 324-pound lineman has been compared to Detroit Lions tackle Taylor Decker.

Was Taliese Fuaga the right selection for the Saints?

This couldn’t have been a better pick for New Orleans. If we’re going to give the selection a grade, it’s an A+. Fuaga was the fourth tackle drafted Thursday evening but some draft analysts had him ranked as high as the second-best tackle in a loaded tackle class. He makes a ton of sense for New Orleans because of the offensive line circumstances the team is facing.

Andrus Peat is currently a free agent, James Hurst recently retired, Trevor Penning was benched last season during his second year in the NFL, and Ryan Ramczyk is dealing with a knee injury that could end his career. The Saints need to find multiple linemen and they got things started by drafting Taliese Fuaga.

Of course, Fuaga will have to prove that he’s capable, but he could be asked to start from day one. New Orleans will hope that his game can immediately translate. At the college level, he was a nasty run blocker, and that’s something the Saints really need. After a down year in the run game, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is hoping to get Alvin Kamara back on track. Taliese Fuaga should help with that.

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