Finally, Taliese Fuaga is the player the New Orleans Saints will select at pick 14 in the draft. The Saints were surprisingly well-stocked with pick 14, with players like Troy Fautanu, Dallas Turner, and Laiatu Latu available. The Saints chose Fuaga despite having those choices, but why?
At pick 14, the Saints had to take a certified tackle, and they had no choice but to do so. The Saints took this action mostly due to their concerns regarding Ryan Ramczyk. Fuaga will take his place at right tackle, and we might never see him play again. The scheme fit is another reason the Saints preferred Fuaga to other choices. He fits perfectly into Klint Kubiak’s new zone run strategy for the Saints. While taking charge in the passing game, Fuaga can also dominate in the run game. He finished his college career without giving up a single sack.
Not only did Fuaga have skill in the field, but he also fulfilled a lot of the Saints’ requirements. He was an All-American and the team captain at Oregon State. Taliese Fuaga played in the Senior Bowl after graduating from college, and he was undoubtedly the most dominant player there. Following all of the NFL Combine testing, Fuaga received a 9.63 RAS score. The Saints selected Taliese Fuaga in the draft because of all of these additional considerations as well as his inherent skill on the field.