From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga.
#75 TALIESE FUAGA, OT, OREGON STATE (rJR) — 6056, 324 lbs.
Senior Bowl
Combine
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Taliese Fuaga | 6056/324 | 10 1/8 | 33 1/8 | 80 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.13 | 1.77 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’3″ | 32 | N/A |
The Good
— Good size and strength
— Impressive athleticism and mobility
— Very good balance and smooth pass set
— Patient, powerful hands that work independently
— Active refitting of hands to counter pass rusher
— Good awareness on stunts and twists
— Very good aggressiveness and good snap quickness
— Good pad level, leg drive to move defenders
— Quickness to cut off backside defenders
— Very good mobility to second level or pull outside
The Bad
— Leaves chest open when pad level too tall on pass rushes
— Speed rushers can win when snap timing is slow
— Arm length a tad shorter than teams might like
— Adequate grip strength; settle for push rather than locking on
— Overaggressive burst out of snap will cause him to miss some blocks
— Five false starts in five games watched
Bio
— All-American 2023 First team (FWAA, Athlon Sports, ESPN, CBS, Phil Steele) Second Team (AP)
— All-PAC 12 (2023)
— 39 games, 25 starts
— Two-year starter
— 2022: PPF Honorable Mention All-American
— Second Team All-PAC 12 (2022)
— Zero sacks allowed on 339 pass-blocking snaps in 2023 (PFF)
— Team Captain
— Majoring in sociology
Tape Breakdown
The addition of Broderick Jones had an immediate impact once inserted into the starting lineup. The evolution of the offensive line has been underway for a couple of seasons and will likely continue. Jones being able to play either tackle spot gives them the flexibility to add either a left or right tackle. Taliese Fuaga has an exciting combination of size, strength, and athletic ability.
As a pass blocker, he displays good snap quickness with very good balance and glides smoothly into his set positions. He displays patient hands at the ready, working them independently with good punch strength and timing. The hands stay active throughout each rep to refit to counteract the defender’s efforts. He gets solid depth to fight rushers up the arc and uses his play strength to shove them past the quarterback. He displays solid lateral agility to mirror defenders and cut up counters to the inside.
Here are some clips of Fuaga versus the rusher to his outside.
And a couple of clips of him facing counters to the inside.
On stunts and twists, he shows good awareness and timing to pick up and pass off pass rushers. When he is uncovered, he’s solid when looking to help teammates. His anchor is good overall, and there were times when frustrated pass rushers decided not to try to rush and just attempt to get hands in passing lanes.
As a run blocker, he has good snap quickness and plays with good aggressiveness. He plays with good leverage, has a very good leg drive, and is intent on displacing defenders. They ran a lot of Zone, and he has very good lateral agility and mobility to execute Reach blocks or get outside as a puller. On Down, Drive and Double Team blocks, he wins with play strength and leg drive. He’s very good on the backside to Hinge block or wall off the defenders to create cut-back lanes.
He has exceptional mobility for a man of his size.
Leg drive to move defenders on double team and combo blocks.
On the front side, defenders struggle to set the edge against him, and he is good at pushing them further outside. When climbing to the second level, he has very good quickness and agility, and a simple shove will remove or knock down second-level defenders.
The displacement of defenders.
Here, he shows off the strength to toss one defender, and he mobility to the second level to handle the next defender.
When his pad level is too tall in his pass set, he leaves his chest open and is susceptible to power rushers. Speed rushers may give him problems when he is late out of his snap. His arm length is a touch below average for tackles. He is adequate when sustaining blocks with adequate grip strength, preferring to use his upper body strength to shove defenders rather than lock on. His aggressiveness will cause him to miss on the first and second-level run blocks. False starts were too common. I saw him commit that penalty five times in the five games watched.
Some pass-protection reps aren’t ideal. In this first clip, he is late out of his stance. The second has him getting pushed into the QB’s lap.
Here are some of his aggressive misses.
Conclusion
Overall, Fuaga plays with an aggressive demeanor and has very good size, play strength, and athleticism that belies his size. As a pass protector, he has good footwork, balance, and play strength. His punch timing and placement are good, and he works his hands independently. Mental processing on twists and stunts is good, as well as his anchor.
As a run blocker, he relies on pad level, quickness, play strength, and leg drive to displace blockers. He has good mobility to cut off on the backside, climb to the second level, or get out in space.
Areas to improve include his pad level versus power rushes. Improving his technique to lock on when blocking rather than just shoving defenders. On the second level, lowering his aggressiveness and coming to balance so defenders can’t slip around him. He can’t fix his arm length, but he may be a touch under most tackles, and he must cut down on the false start penalties.
Fuaga has the athleticism to play guard or tackle. Some may see him as the former, but I think he will fit nicely at right tackle and start for a long time. With his strength and athleticism, he can play in any running scheme. If the Steelers were to add him, they could have bookend tackles into the next decade.
For a player comp, I’ll go with Tristan Wirfs. He may not be the technician Wirfs was coming out, but he has the size, athleticism, and hand usage as a pass blocker that is similar.
Projection: Mid-Day One
Depot Draft Grade: 8.9 Year 1 Quality Starter (1st Round)
Games Watched: 2023 – Vs Utah, At California, Vs UCLA, Vs Washington, At Oregon
