It’s NFL draft season, and as teams around the league start preparing to head down to Mobile, Alabama, for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the guy who created the craze surrounding the leadup to the event just released his first mock.
Mel Kiper is the gold standard for draft evaluation, and the legend from Baltimore just revealed his first mock draft of the spring.
With Lane Johnson getting closer to retirement and Jordan Mailata nearing the end of his contract extension, the Eagles add depth at offensive tackle, selecting Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga.
The Eagles were a disaster at the end of the season, and they have several roster questions to answer this offseason (with a long list of pending free agents). On defense, they have needs at cornerback and safety, and their pass rush was putrid down the stretch. On offense, their line is getting older — right tackle Lane Johnson turns 34 in May — and they’ll have to replace star center Jason Kelce. Taking Fuaga is a way to add a top-tier talent and figure out the rest later.
Cam Jurgens, a second-rounder in 2022, probably would replace Kelce, which means the right guard spot would open up. Fuaga started 25 games at right tackle for the Beavers, but he could play inside as a rookie before ultimately replacing Johnson. He is a dominant run-blocker with powerful hands and strong lower body.
Philadelphia loves to select offensive linemen who offer versatility, and Fuaga is athletic enough to slide down inside to the guard position if needed.
Fuaga was named a Second-Team All-American by Walter Camp, The Athletic, and USA Today.
He was also named a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection via a vote of the conference’s coaches and the Associated Press and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy.
