CINCINNATI – The biggest question when it comes to drafting Taliese Fuaga is whether he will still be available when the Cincinnati Bengals go on the clock at No. 18.
There are four or five tackle-needy teams picking ahead of Cincinnati, and given the lack of quality of offensive linemen, even some teams with greater needs elsewhere could take advantage of one of the best tackle classes of the last decade — with Fuaga playing a central role in that.
The Bengals are reportedly bringing in Fuaga for a top 30 visit.
This week, we will begin taking a closer look at some of the top first-round options for the Bengals. The prospects will be published in no particular order, as Fuaga kicks off the series.
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Preview: Get To Know Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga
The Basics
- Height:6’6″
- Weight: 334 pounds
- Position: Offensive Tackle
- School: Oregon State
- Age: 22 (April 5, 2002)
- PFN Big Board Ranking: 11 overall, No. 3 offensive tackle
Why Taliese Fuaga Is a First-Round Talent
Just a three-star recruit coming out of high school in Tacoma, Washington, Fuaga began splitting time with starting right tackle Brandon Kipper as a redshirt freshman. In 2022, the OSU coaching staff moved Kipper inside to guard in order to start Fuaga at RT.
By 2023, he was first-team All-Pac 12 and second-team All-American, cementing himself among the top tackles in the draft while rivaling Alabama’s JC Latham as the top right tackle in the group.
Fuaga was named to the Senior Bowl All-American Offensive Team, along with fellow tackle prospects Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Troy Fautanu, Tyler Guyton, and Jordan Morgan.
“Fuaga grades out as a blue-chip and top-10 prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board,” Pro Football Network Draft Analyst Ian Cummings writes in Fuaga’s draft profile.
“Latham would be the class’ superlative power generator if it wasn’t for Fuaga. Fuaga’s punches have absurd knock-back power. Almost effortlessly, he can generate enough force to leave his opponent’s balance in shambles, and he’s a menacing space blocker with his power drive.
“Fuaga’s elite power and elite explosiveness serve as high-ceiling traits, but Fuaga is much more refined and much more actionable as a Day 1 NFL starter than he gets credit for. In the run game, Fuaga maximizes his power component with sharp angle awareness, urgency, smooth hinge flexibility, and a finisher’s mentality.”
How Fuaga Would Fit
Fuaga would come into OTAs and, presumably, training camp as RT2 behind Trent Brown, whom the Bengals signed to a one-year, $4.8 million contract in free agency last month.
But Fuaga would be the right tackle of the future, and it would be up to him — or perhaps fate, given Brown’s recent injury history — when that future begins.
There are some scouts that view Fuaga as a better fit at guard, and he no doubt will rep at that position if the Bengals draft him.
Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga was named top on the National team in a vote from DL and LB teammates at practice player-of-the-week awards ceremony today at 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/egfbVhDqKI
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 2, 2024
Cordell Volson has started every game at left guard and played every offensive snap since Cincinnati selected him in the fourth round in 2022. But offensive line coach Frank Pollack admitted Volson fell short of the improvement level expected in his second season as a starter in 2023.
Fuaga said at the Combine he’s ready for anything.
“I’m ready to play both sides. Right now, I’m working at left and right,” Fuaga said. “Even at guard. If they have me at guard, I’ll be ready for that.”
As far as what he’ll bring to the team that drafts him, Fuaga pointed to his mean streak.
“I come with a tone, an aggressiveness toward the game,” Fuaga said at the Combine. “I love trying to knock people off their feet. It’s fun. You’re definitely trying to run that guy over — everybody’s trying to do that — but the ability to stay under control is what separates you from being wacky and all that kind of stuff.”
Breaking a Beaver Dam at Tackle
Oregon State doesn’t have much history when it comes to sending offensive tackles to the NFL.
There has been one Beaver tackle selected in the last 16 drafts. Blake Brandel, who went in the sixth round to the Minnesota Vikings in 2020, has made five starts in three seasons with the team.
Only four other OSU tackles were selected from 1976-2019, and all were sixth- or seventh-round picks. The last Beaver tackle to go before Round 6 was Jeff Hart, who was a third-round selection in 1975.
No Oregon State offensive lineman at any position has been selected in the first round of the draft.
Weighing the Weaknesses in Fuaga’s Game
In Cummings’ scouting report of Fuaga, here are the concerns/weaknesses he noted from watching the tape:
- Length, while exceptional, might be a notch below the elite mark.
- Isn’t always fast enough on vertical hip transitions to fully seal out edge rushers.
- Sometimes lacks the flexibility to fully hinge outside and make up lost ground.
- Sometimes aligns too far upright off the snap on pass downs, exposing himself to power.
- On occasion, bends at the waist and lurches on initial run blocks, failing to bring his feet.
- Occasionally drifts away from help assignments too early when surveying blitz threats.
- At times, will get caught flat-footed and lurching by rushers who feign vertical angles.
- Sometimes whiffs on initial punches and can resort to bear-hugs on recovery.
- Aggressiveness naturally leads him to overshoot angles in space on occasion.
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