They say it takes one to know one, so an endorsement from a seven-time Pro Bowler is worth noting. Longtime Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce only needed a single rep to believe the New Orleans Saints got a special player in Taliese Fuaga, their first round pick in the 2024 draft.
“There’s guys that even when they’re playing the highlights on draft day, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah,'” Kelce recounted on the New Heights podcast with his brother Travis Kelce. “There was one tackle that got picked early out of Oregon State. I saw like one pass set, I’m like, ‘Yep. Oh yeah.'”
Fuaga put up some impressive game tape during his career at Oregon State, lining up at right tackle against some talented opponents like Laiatu Latu (who was drafted immediately after him by the Indianapolis Colts). And the more Kelce saw of that, the more he liked.
“And then I saw him just completely demoralizing people after that. I’m like this dude is a (expletive) beast. Taliese Fuaga. Holy (expletive). Do you see like the balance, they way his hips open up?” He could have kept going, but his brother Travis steered the conversation back to other prospects.
Pro Football Focus charting found that Fuaga didn’t allow a sack in three years at Oregon State, totaling 734 snaps in pass protection. He only yielded five quarterback hits and 23 pressures in total during that time. But the Saints didn’t draft him just because of his clean hands. His rare athleticism, agility, and movement skills for an offensive lineman stood out, and they’re hoping he can bring that same dominance to Klint Kubiak’s offense in 2024. If all goes as hoped, maybe he can compare Pro Bowls with Kelce some day.
