The New Orleans Saints might have a massive instant breakout on their hands with rookie Taliese Fuaga.
Tasked with being the long-term starter on the left edge in front of Derek Carr right away, the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft looked every bit of a seasoned pro during the blowout win over the Carolina Panthers.
ESPN’s Seth Walder, for example, revealed that Fuaga led all rookies in pass block win rates at a stunning 94 percent.
Then there’s this, from Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker:
“The Oregon State product was tremendous in pass protection, allowing zero pressures on 26 opportunities, including two matchups with Jadeveon Clowney. Altogether, Fuaga’s 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade tied for fifth among offensive linemen in Week 1.”
Not bad for a rookie who played all 66 snaps at left tackle in his first pro game while the overall offense broke out in a big way behind some creative new ingredients added by coordinator Klink Kubiak.
Fuaga seemed like a high-upside prospect who could end up being the best tackle from the class, but even the most optimistic of fans might not have been so bold as to suggest he would look this good right out of the gates.
