Saints veterans are extremely impressed with Taliese Fuaga after first week of camp
Few rookies will enter the 2024 season with as much pressure as New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga. Selected with the 14th-overall pick, Fuaga was essentially named the team’s starting left tackle the day he got drafted. Not only is left tackle one of the NFL’s toughest positions, but Fuaga will be playing on a rebuilt offensive line in a make-or-break season for the franchise.
The Saints have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, and another mediocre year could lead to a rebuild. To avoid that, New Orleans needs to contend in 2024; that all starts up front with the offensive line.
After a week of training camp, it seems like the rookie Fuaga is up for the challenge. Taking reps as the starting left tackle all week, the rookie has already impressed his veteran teammates. Staring center Erik McCoy, who’s entering his sixth season, called Fuaga the best rookie lineman he’s ever seen.
The Pro Bowl center went on to say that he thinks Fuaga is capable of starting at each position on the offensive line, except center, McCoy jokingly added.
"I think he's gonna be THAT good of a football player"@Erik_McCoy_73 on @Taliese1 pic.twitter.com/go9TXfYqRY
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) July 27, 2024
Erik McCoy says Taliese Fuaga is the best rookie lineman he’s seen
These words echo the things head coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said about Fuaga during the spring. They routinely praised the rookie lineman and argued that he’s well equipped for the challenge the team is asking him to take on.
It is important to note the Saints haven’t been in pads yet; that starts on Monday. That’s when things get real, and when you can better evaluate players. Football is a physical game, especially in the trenches. The good news, though, is physicality was Fuaga’s strength in college. He was an elite run blocker, and nasty in the best way, when he got his hands on defenders.
If that physicality can immediately translate to the NFL, in addition to the other tools Fuaga has flashed to impress his teammates, the Saints will have a quality left tackle.
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