Year 2 Blues: Taliese Fuaga and the 2024 Tackle Class Hit a Bump in the Road
Taliese Fuaga came into this season looking to build on a strong rookie campaign. Instead, he's spent most of it trying to get his body right - and stay on the field.
After shifting from left tackle back to his college position on the right side, Fuaga’s transition wasn’t supposed to be the headline. But injuries quickly took center stage.
A knee issue, then a back flare-up that sidelined him in Week 3, followed by a high-ankle sprain, and later a rolled foot - it’s been a revolving door of setbacks. He’s missed four games in total, and even when he’s suited up, he’s looked like a player fighting through pain rather than dominating like the Saints hoped.
Still, when he’s in the lineup, the impact is noticeable.
“The injuries, that’s something obviously he didn’t have last year and it’s tough for him,” said Saints offensive line coach Brendan Nugent. “But man, when he’s in there, it’s a difference in there.”
That difference - even at less than full strength - speaks to Fuaga’s raw talent and potential. But it also underscores how much this season has been about survival more than progress. For a player many expected to take a second-year leap, the reality has been a grind.
And Fuaga’s not alone.
The 2024 NFL Draft was supposed to be a turning point for offensive line play. Eight tackles went in the first round - tying a league record - and expectations were sky-high. But fast forward to the end of Year 2, and many of those highly touted linemen are still trying to find their footing.
Let’s take a closer look at how this once-heralded tackle class is faring:
Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
Alt looked every bit the part of a top-five pick - when he was on the field.
The fifth overall selection quickly emerged as one of the league’s most promising young tackles. Unfortunately, a lingering ankle injury cut his season short.
After trying to battle through it, Alt ultimately needed season-ending surgery, limiting him to just six games. The talent is clear, but durability’s the question moving forward.
J.C. Latham, Tennessee Titans
Like Fuaga, Latham made the switch from left tackle back to right tackle this year. The seventh overall pick has had a rough go of it, missing four games and allowing a league-high eight sacks.
For a player with his physical tools, the Titans are still betting on long-term upside. But right now, it’s been a trial by fire.
Olu Fashanu, New York Jets
Fashanu was a name heavily linked to the Saints during the pre-draft process, but the Jets snagged him at No.
- He’s had his struggles, too.
According to Next Gen Stats, Fashanu owns a pressure rate of 14.4% - the third-highest among left tackles with at least 150 snaps this season. It’s a steep learning curve, and Fashanu’s still climbing.
Taliese Fuaga, New Orleans Saints
Even with the injuries, Fuaga’s numbers tell an interesting story.
His pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus sits at 62.2 - identical to his rookie mark. He’s allowing pressure on 6.8% of his pass-blocking snaps, which ranks fourth among the eight first-round tackles from the 2024 class.
Not a disaster, but not the jump many expected. The physical tools are there; now it’s about putting together a healthy stretch to show what he can really do.
Amarius Mims, Cincinnati Bengals
One of the rawest prospects in the class, Mims is starting to show why the Bengals bet on his upside at No.
- The 6-foot-7, 340-pound tackle has trimmed his pressure rate from 6.4% to 5.9% this season, a sign that he’s beginning to settle in.
He’s still a work in progress, but the arrow is pointing up.
Troy Fautanu, Pittsburgh Steelers
Some thought he’d be better off at guard, but Fautanu is proving he can hold his own at tackle.
After a rookie season that was almost entirely wiped out, the former 21st overall pick has bounced back strong. He’s allowed just one sack in 14 games this year - a rock-solid stat line for a player still adjusting to the pro game.
Jordan Morgan, Green Bay Packers
Morgan’s second year hasn’t gone according to plan.
Drafted 25th overall, he lost a training camp battle for the left tackle job and was moved inside to guard. He’s made nine starts this season - including one at right tackle - but was benched in Week 12 and hasn’t seen the field since.
It’s been a tough stretch for the former Arizona standout.
So what do we make of this group?
It’s tempting to slap a label on the class - overhyped, underwhelming, disappointing. But that’d be missing the point.
Development in the NFL isn’t a straight line. Some guys hit early, others take time.
Injuries, scheme fits, position changes - they all matter. And in the trenches, where the learning curve is steep and the margin for error is razor-thin, even the most talented prospects can take a while to find their rhythm.
Fuaga, for his part, is trying to keep perspective.
“It’s a good experience just to understand how to handle these situations,” he said. “When this stuff happens - at first, when I got injured, I’m like, ‘Man, it’s the end of the world.
This is horrible.’ But I think it’s a good way to understand how to handle these situations.”
He called it an “up-and-down year.” That’s fair. But it’s also the kind of year that can shape a career - not define it.
The 2024 tackle class still has time to prove its worth. For now, it’s just taking the long road.