The New Orleans Saints drafted their right tackle of the future in Taliese Fuaga in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night, but what does it mean for them immediately? Where do you set the bar for a successful rookie season for Fuaga?
Well, he will be the team’s starting right tackle this season, if Ryan Ramczyk retires as expected. The expectation for him is to come in as a pro-ready mauling run blocker while he progresses as a pass blocker. Obviously, needing some improvement, doesn’t mean he will be a turnstile in pass protection next season. It just means that is where he is further away with in his development.
It’s harder to set realistic expectations for an offensive tackle, as there aren’t as many stats on paper as there would be elsewhere. All that the Saints can really ask for is that he is a better immediate option than Trevor Penning has been early on in his career, which honestly shouldn’t be that hard.
The bottom line is, he will be expected to perform right away in the run game. He was the highest-graded run blocker in college football according to Pro Football Focus. However, he should definitely be given some room to improve in the passing game. If he can quickly work his way into the starting lineup he’ll have every opportunity to develop into a quality pro.
