The New Orleans Saints nailed their 2024 first-round pick by selecting offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick. After playing his entire rookie season at a new position—moving to left tackle and exceeding expectations—the Saints doubled down by selecting another left tackle with the 9th overall pick in the 2025 draft: Kelvin Banks Jr.
That move allowed Fuaga to slide back to his natural position on the right side, where he delivered yet another great season despite battling a number
of injuries.
The 23-year-old defied the sophomore slump, allowing just four sacks and 28 total pressures on 530 pass-blocking snaps while committing only seven penalties across 814 total snaps. Fuaga appeared in 13 games, missing four due to multiple injuries that he was able to play through at other points during the season. He sat out Week 3 with a knee injury and a back flare-up, then missed Weeks 10, 12 and 14 with a high ankle sprain.
The Saints appear to have found a way to replace the star-studded duo of Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk with Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr., giving them a tackle tandem that looks to be the foundation of their future.
