ShortFuzed9
Veteran
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Compare him to PenningWell I was quite happy with the Fuaga pick until I read his draft profile on Fox sports below:
Strengths
Concerns
- Never surrendered a single sack according to PFF and was called for just three penalties over his career.
- Naturally massive human being who can maul at the line of scrimmage and possesses remarkable initial quickness for such great size.
- Springs off the snap like he's wearing jet-packs for cleats.
- Possesses a seek-and-destroy mentality at the second level, shoving opponents aside and looking for more.
- Terrific week of practice at the Senior Bowl, including being voted National Team's best offensive lineman of the week of practice.
- Not quite as quick in his kick-slide as he is coming off the ball in the running game.
- Lacks ideal arm length (33 3/8") to recover if beaten off the snap by speed rushers.
- Can get a bit complacent and allow himself to be flat-footed at the top of his drop, leaving himself vulnerable to quick counters and spins.
2024 NFL Draft OT rankings: Scouting the best tackle class in 20-plus years | FOX Sports
The 2024 NFL Draft is incredibly rich at offensive tackle. We rank and analyze the top 10 of a group that is the best Rob Rang has seen in over two decades.www.foxsports.com
I didn’t realize his arm length was only 33 3/8 inches. That’s like dinosaur arms, the dude probably needs a long fork just to reach his mouth when eating. I see that Taliese also tends to be complacent and flat footed. Just great, sounds like we drafted a lazy, flat footed tackle with short arms.
I do have a couple questions , however, for the genius Fox sportswriter who composed this comically paradoxical strengths and concerns draft profile of Fuaga.
Apparently Fuaga hasn’t given up a sack in his whole career. Whoa, let that sink in. How exactly does a slow, lazy flat footed guy with stubby arms never give up a sack, ever?
The writer says that Fuaga is vulnerable to speed rushers with quick counters and spins. Okay, but riddle me this Batman writer. How do we know Fuaga cant handle speed rushers with fancy moves if exactly no defensive lineman has ever gotten a sack on Fuaga in his college career?
I’m not sure where the complacent tag comes from either. On the plus side the writer says Fuaga possesses a seek and destroy mentality. But isn’t that like the polar opposite of being complacent? Is it that Fuaga looks bored while seeking and destroying defensive linemen while giving up no sacks?
And how about the contradictory word salad in the strengths and concerns profile about Fuaga’s quickness? The strength part of the profile describes Fuaga as having “remarkable initial quickness for such great size who springs off the snap likes he’s wearing jet-packs for cleats”. The concern part says he isnt quick with is kick slide blocks. WTF? Exactly how can a guy with jet-packs strapped to his cleats also be flat footed and slow in his kick slide, whatever the frick a kick side is?
The only way I can figure out how a slow, complacent guy with flat feet gives up no sacks is that he must be holding people with his Liliputian appendages. Oh wait though, he’s only had three penalties in his career, which could have been pre snap for all we know.
He sure sounds like a project to me. Hopefully Fuaga’s arms are still not fully grown and he can get another inch or so with some aggressive stretching. I think all he needs to do on the kick-side block is to turn the jet packs on his cleats sideways.
We can only hope. If we draft another offensive tackle I do hope it’s someone with long arms that gave up some sacks in college. There’s room for improvement with a guy like that. Fuaga gave up zero sacks, he has zero room for improvement in that department. I guess the Saints knew that when they reached for a guy with no reach.
