Taliese Fuaga, OT Oregon State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Fuaga was a three-star recruit from Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Wash. in the class of 2020

Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga is arguably the most disruptive run blocker in the 2024 NFL Draft. The fourth-year player has the tools and mentality to thrive in any run scheme, but there are concerns about his physical limitations in pass protection.

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Taliese Fuaga, OT Oregon State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fourth-year junior right tackle from Tacoma, Wash.

Background: Fuaga was a three-star recruit from Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma, Wash. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,618 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,541 for On3.com. Fuaga was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 74 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he earned First Team All-League honors as an offensive lineman and Second Team All-League honors as a defensive lineman. That year, Fuaga totaled 40 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and five sacks. He was a Second Team All-League selection as an offensive lineman as a junior. Fuaga played in the 2020 Polynesian Bowl.

Injuries & Off-Field: Went down with an injury against Cal (2022)

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-Pac-12, 2022 Honorable Mention All-American (PFF)

Pros: Quick slide, gains good depth in first two steps in pass pro, nimble footwork helps him protect the corner, agility and footwork help to mirror pass rushers, plays with a wide base, impressive anchor, upper body power and pop, punches and shoves throw defenders off their rush arcs, delivers rib shots to 3-techs in pass pro, kept dominant UCLA rushers in check (2023), elite power in the run game, creates significant displacement, power and body positioning to seal running lanes, hand placement helps him out-leverage linemen in the run game, powerful leg drive, channels power from base up through hips, digs out and displaces 3 and 4-techs, powerful down blocker who collapses the line, outside linebackers like Laiatu Latu can’t hold the point of attack against him (2023), fluid, explosive, and sudden mover, elite movement skills with run scheme diversity, reach blocks look easy, wide range in the run game, excels at climbing to the second level, power to stun and pancake second level defenders, ready and willing to pancake defenders, put guys on the ground left and right vs. Washington State (2023)

Cons: Right tackle-only in college, lower half appears lean, arm length appears to be below thresholds, long-armed defenders dig into his chest and separate, high pad level, needs more knee bend, wish he anchored lower in his stance, occasionally lets chest get over knees, first step can be refined to be more consistent, some examples of oversetting, half a step slow to recover vertically when beaten off the line or after a missed punch, lacks suddenness and preferred lateral agility once he stops his feet in pass pro, lateral agility and explosiveness are good but not great, hangs his hands out making them easy targets, not enough independent hand usage, must replace hands quicker, punch accuracy and placement, needs to clamp down and sustain blocks for longer, block framing is inconsistent, bad angles to second level defenders

Overview: Fuaga is a dominant run blocker with game-changing power. He uses his thick upper frame, heavy hands, and powerful leg drive to generate significant displacement at the point of attack and at the second level. Fuaga channels power from his base up through his hips in both the run and pass game. His power and body positioning allow him to seal defenders to create running lanes easily. The fourth-year tackle’s hand placement helps him pry linemen out of their stances to gain the leverage advantage. He digs out 3, 4, and 5-techs and is a leading force at the point of attack. Edge rushers like Laiatu Latu stand no chance at anchoring against him. Fuaga collapses the defensive line on down blocks. He’s also a fluid, explosive, and sudden mover. Those elite movement skills make him a scheme diverse athlete capable of executing pulls, climbs, reach blocks, and basically any other assignment because of his range and speed. Fuaga bears down on second level defenders before they have time to dodge his blocks. They don’t expect a tackle with his size to overtake them so quickly. Fuaga’s power allows him to pancake second level defenders with ease, and he can also bury linemen. However, he needs to clamp down and sustain blocks for longer. At times, he releases defenders too early and allows them to rally to the football. His most notable flaw in the run game is how often he overshoots his assignment by taking poor angles to second level defenders. He needs to play under control more often. In pass protection, Fuaga showcases a quick slide that allows him to gain good depth in his first two steps. His nimble footwork helps him protect the corner and mirror pass rushers. He plays with a wide base and impressive anchor that defenders struggle to play through. His upper body is stacked with a ton of mass and power. Fuaga’s punches and shoves throw defenders off their rush arcs, and he plays with a mean streak to deliver punches and rib shots to unsuspecting defenders. Unfortunately, the Washington native appears to lack ideal arm length for an NFL tackle, and he’s only played right tackle in college. Long-armed defenders easily access Fuaga’s chest and separate from his blocks. Fuaga further complicates his physical limitations by playing with a high pad level and limited knee bend. His chest occasionally gets over his knees in both pass protection and the run game. The All-Pac-12 selection’s first step can be refined to be more consistent, allowing him to move faster and gain better depth. He oversets sometimes and is half a step slow to recover when beaten off the line. His lateral agility dies as soon as his feet slow down. Fuaga’s overall lateral agility and explosiveness are good but not great. His hand usage needs significant improvement. He hangs his hands out far in front of his body, making them easy targets for defenders. Fuaga’s framing of blocks, hand placement, and punch accuracy are inconsistent. He must use more independent hand usage and replace his hands quicker.

Overall, Fuaga is an elite run blocker with the tools and mentality to thrive in any rushing scheme, but questions about his arm length and hand usage in pass protection prevent him from earning a first round grade. Fuaga deserves a chance to start in the NFL as a tackle, but he has the traits to be an elite guard if he fails outside.

Role & Scheme Fit: Scheme transcendent right tackle; potential guard convert

Round Projection: Early Second to Mid Second

Size: 6'6", 334 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 10-24-23