Oregon State Right Tackle Taliese Fuaga Stonewalls Defenders

Watching Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga was downright impressive in this three-game block of film study from 2022.

Credit CBS Sports when they recently mocked Fuaga first-round (No. 14 overall), which is what brought the big man to my attention.

He was all that and some when I turned on the game film. When it comes to right tackles, last season I put a first-round grade on the University of Tennessee’s right tackle Darnell Wright (who was incredible) before he was selected by the Chicago Bears (No. 10 overall). While Fuaga is not as polished as Wright, he is impressive.

Fuaga reminds me of Wright in another way too – – he looks like a man amongst boys on his game film.

Pass Protection

While selecting a right tackle is not considered a ‘premium position,’ for teams that have right-handed quarterbacks, it is still ultra-important to seal off both edges against the most dangerous pass rushers in the league. Right tackle has become even more important of an offensive position given the growing trend of great pass rushers continuously flip-flopping back and forth testing both sides of the line.

Success at offensive tackle is all about footwork, and Fuaga has nimble, quick, and choppy feet that serve him well in keeping his massive and powerful frame in front of pass rushers.

Fuaga has a strong, stout, and athletic frame. He slides out quickly with his first step and does a solid job maintaining a nice wide well-balanced base. He uses his powerful hands well too.

My only criticism of this Oregon State right tackle was he showed a tendency to stop moving his feet and open the back door of the pocket. Granted, Fuaga has a high effort level, which was able to compensate and help him still maintain control of the blocks in those situations.

Run blocking

Fuaga is competitive and aggressive. He does a good job walling off run lanes and he loves to overpower smaller defenders further downfield.

That’s right, downfield.

He moves around in space very well. No problem getting to the second level (where the linebackers line up pre-snap) or even further, which is another premium in his day in age of a lot of short passes, screens, etc.

Fuaga flashes a real mean streak when he powerfully pushes and shoves defenders.

Sometimes he doesn’t sustain run blocks long enough and he can get out of control in space, which are my only knocks on him in this department.

Elite characteristics

I have a rule, that I have to feel excited watching a prospect on game film to put him on my first-round board. My scouting mentor taught me to, ‘stick with the dynamic ones.’

I got excited watching Fuaga.

Even though former Ravens All-World offensive lineman Jonathan Ogden played left tackle, I see shades of Ogden in Fuaga. I see it in the fluidity in his hips, the elite athleticism, the nimble feet, the explosive power coming from his lower body transferring out through his upper body, and the dominance.

#75 Taliese Fuaga 6-foot-6, 334 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Fall 2023 Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 9.0% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of October 30, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Boise State, USC, and Fresno State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: Fuaga earned an 80.4 grade (pff.com)

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Powerful and athletic lineman who excels in pass protection and run blocking. Strong body structure. Moves around well. Athletic legs. Good hand technique with explosive punch. Long arms. Handled spin and “X” stunts with ease. Battles and keeps at it. Great job of keeping his guy away from the quarterback. Needs to keep his feet sliding throughout the rep. Does a great job run blocking using his athleticism and frame. Plays until the whistle blows. Occasionally pancakes. Inconsistent sustain.

What to watch for during the 2023 season

1. Does he keep his feet sliding at the back door of the pocket?

2. Does his technique look raw at times?

3. Consistently sustaining run blocks?

4. How does he look run blocking in space?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock