Taliese Fuaga
New Orleans SaintsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 13 games
Draft & College
He went about where consensus had him.
Comps
STM Take
Tier 8 (#59) rookie to tier 7 (#49) sophomore is a measured 10-spot improvement but still below the year-two curve for a top-15 OT pick. The position-switch context (college RT, NFL LT) plus the Saints' offensive collapse softens the rough start. The 2026 question is whether Fuaga makes the year-three jump into tier 5 or whether New Orleans considers kicking him back to RT.
Fuaga came out of Oregon State as the New Orleans Saints' 1st-round pick (14th overall) in 2024 after starting 27 games for the Beavers at right tackle and earning consensus All-American honors. The Saints picked him to play LT despite his college experience at RT, slotting him in next to Erik McCoy at center. His STTM arc tier 8 (#59) rookie to tier 7 (#49) sophomore is a small year-two jump but still below the median for 14th overall OT picks.
Strengths
- 14th overall pick with 27 college starts plus consensus All-American honors gives him real technical foundation that the early STTM finishes don't yet reflect.
- 10-spot improvement from tier 8 (#59) to tier 7 (#49) over two years shows trajectory, even if the absolute level is below expectation.
Concerns
- Two seasons in and still outside the top 45 is well below the year-two curve for top-15 OT picks who hit Pro Bowl ceilings.
- Position switch from college RT to NFL LT plus the Saints' broader offensive collapse compresses the developmental signal.
What to watch: Whether Fuaga crosses into tier 5 (top 40) in 2026 at LT, or whether a kick back to RT signals the front office has reset the position projection.