We already know what the guys lining up alongside Taliese Fuaga think of the New Orleans Saints’ first-round draft pick. Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy called him the best rookie offensive lineman he’s been around since he joined the team back in 2019. But what about the players lining up against Fuaga on the defensive line?
Chase Young is one person well-suited to chime in. The veteran defensive end recovered sooner than expected from offseason neck surgery, and he’s quickly stacking great days of work at Saints training camp while the coaches carefully ramp up his workload. And many of those reps have come against Fuaga. What kind of impression has Fuaga made now that he and Young have gotten to know each other on the practice field?
“A dog,” Fuaga said, grinning. “He’s going to be a real great player. Real patient, super strong, you know. Even when I’m going against my guy I mix it it up on him, dial it in. Because he’s so massive. A guy who’s massive, who’s patient and strong, I mean, you can’t get away with many things. They can just sit on you.”
The Saints have high hopes for both players. Young could be the best defensive lineman on the roster if he’s healthy and fully engaged, which were challenges for him last season while dealing with that neck injury. So much is resting on Fuaga to transform the offensive line and protect Derek Carr’s blind side, which is a new experience for him after he spent his college career at right tackle.
But the results are positive for both of them, at least after a week of training camp practices. It’s a long road to Week 1’s kickoff game. The Saints won’t get to the playoffs if these guys slip up and don’t meet expectations, but they could really make some noise if both of them hit. It’s early in the process but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to feel encouraged by what we’re hearing out of camp.
