Taliese Fuaga, an offensive tackle, is the first draft pick selected by the Saints.
METAIRIE, Louisiana – Tackle Taliese Fuaga, the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick, has inked a four-year contract.
One day before the Saints’ three-day rookie camp opened, on Thursday, the team revealed the pact.
The 6-foot-6, 324-pound Fuaga has a good chance of playing right away, if not starting. Last season, Andrus Peat, a guard and tackle, signed a free agent contract to play in Las Vegas. James Hurst, a guard and tackle as well, announced his retirement in the meanwhile.
In addition to the already tenuous scenario facing the Saints up front, starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk underwent surgery in the offseason to treat a persistent knee issue. His prognosis has been characterized as “up in the air” by coach Dennis Allen.
In the meantime, Trevor Penning, a first-round pick in 2022, missed a significant portion of 2022 due to a foot ailment, and his performance in 2023 was insufficient to maintain a starting position. Though it’s unclear how quickly he will get better, Penning is still very much a possibility for New Orleans.
Under new coach Klint Kubiak, the Saints offense will employ a different scheme this coming season. Kubiak’s scheme is likely to emphasize outside zone runs, which makes sense for a prospect like Fuaga, whose ability to run and block in space was considered a strength.
With Oregon State averaging close to five yards per carry in 2023, Fuaga started all 12 games as right tackle. The previous season, he was named to the first team of the Pac-12.
Following Olumuyiwa Fashanu at No. 11, Joe Alt at No. 5, and JC Latham at No. 7, Fuaga was the fourth offensive lineman selected in the draft.
Rookie contracts in the NFL are mostly set by a scale found in the collective bargaining agreement of the league. Due to his 14th overall selection, Fuaga’s four-year guaranteed contract was estimated to be worth approximately $17 million. The club withheld financial information.
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