Taliese Fuaga, a first-round selection of the Saints, agreed to a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $17.3 million on Thursday.
Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is back for the season, but he is recovering from knee surgery. Fuaga, a first-team Pac-12 and unanimous All-American pick in 2023, was the third offensive tackle taken in a run of offensive athletes that ended when the Colts selected UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick. The rookie contracts of Alabama’s JC Latham (Titans, No. 7), Penn State’s Olu Fashanu (Jets, No. 11), and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt (Chargers, No. 5 overall) have not yet been signed.
There is a team option for a fifth season. Fuaga, selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is anticipated to start right away, especially with the offensive line behind starting quarterback Derek Carr in disarray. When they got to the team building, Carr gave Fuaga an embrace, as seen in a video that the team shared. The deal is equivalent to the Saints’ maximum selection slot (the 14th pick).
Fuaga might be tested at left tackle but began 25 games for Oregon State at right tackle. Andrus Peat took Trevor Penning’s spot on the bench during the previous season after the first-round pick in 2022 suffered an injury during his first training camp.
