Saints tackle Taliese Fuaga will be a part of one of the best rookie matchups in 2024

The New Orleans Saints used the 14th-overall pick to draft Taliese Fuaga with hopes that he could be an immediate solution for an offensive line in desperate need of help. With that understood, the Saints aren’t wasting any time getting him up to speed, already lining him up at left tackle with the first unit in OTAs.

Of course, it’s still early in the offseason, but if Fuaga can hold on to that position, he’ll play an important role for the Saints, and will have a ton of fun matchups during his first season in the league. He’ll be tested early with Micah Parsons, when New Orleans takes on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. If Fuaga can survive that and remain in the lineup, there will be several more intriguing matchups on the schedule.

That includes some head-to-heads against fellow rookies. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report recently highlighted the seven best head-to-head rookie matchups on the 2024 NFL schedule. Fuaga vs. Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams made the list.

Saints Taliese Fuaga vs. Rams Jared Verse circled as a good rookie matchup

These two rookies, and teams, will face off in Week 13 of the season. Both first rounders, Fuaga at 14 and Verse at 19, are expected to play big roles for their teams in their first year. Verse, an edge defender, will be helping the Rams defense move into the post-Aaron Donald era. That certainly won’t be an easy transition, but Los Angeles is hoping that Verse can help supplement the production of the future Hall of Famer.

It’ll be up to Fuaga to make sure that doesn’t happen in Week 13. By that time of the season, Fuaga will have already lined up across from Micah Parsons, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Myles Garrett. If Fuaga fares well against those elite pass rushers, he should be able to handle Verse.

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