Getty A Pittsburgh Steelers writer has a gut feeling the team likes Taliese Fuaga best of the tackles in their draft range.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a major need at offensive tackle as the 2024 NFL Draft approaches.
Dan Moore Jr. allowed 8 sacks and 55 pressures in 2023 as the team’s left tackle.
This year, there is a loaded class at tackle the Steelers could turn to as a solution to their problem and they are expected to draft a lineman in round one.
DraftKings Sportsbook has “offensive line” at -275 to be the first position they draft this year.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo seems to think he knows which offensive lineman the team would prefer at pick 20.
He appeared on the April 8 episode of the Post-Gazette’s “North Shore Drive” podcast and revealed that he has a “gut feeling” that the tackle they like best in their draft range is former Oregon State OT Taliese Fuaga.
“If I had to prioritize right now, I would say just based on the pre-draft process, how I saw them react to guys at the Senior Bowl, at the Combine, and then the pre-draft visits, my gut feeling right now tells me they like Fuaga the best.”
Fuaga’s Perfect Last 2 Years
Fuaga took a while to break into the starting lineup for Oregon State. As a sophomore he played just 55 offensive snaps.
Once he worked his way into the starting lineup, Fuaga quickly became a big difference maker for the Beavers.
According to PFF, Fuaga played 810 snaps in 13 games during his junior season. In those 810 snaps, Fuaga didn’t allow a single sack. He also allowed only 8 hurries over the course of the season.
For his efforts he was rewarded with a spot on the All-Pac 12 Second Team.
He racked up even more impressive accolades as a senior. In 2023, Fuaga once again didn’t allow his quarterback to be sacked a single time.
His second consecutive perfect season earned him a spot on the All-Pac 12 First Team. He was also named an All-American.
Fuaga’s stellar last two seasons at Oregon State have made him one of the top offensive line prospects in a loaded class.
He has also gotten some attention from the Steelers as they were represented at his Pro Day and he was brought in for a pre-draft visit.
Steelers’ Many Options at Tackle
2024 is a pretty good time to need help at offensive tackle.
This year’s draft class is absolutely loaded with talent.
Joe Alt has been seen as the top option throughout the pre-draft process after making the All-American First Team in each of his final two college seasons. He allowed just one sack between those two seasons.
Olumuyiwa Fashanu earned a pair of All-Big Ten nods during his college career and was named a consensus All-American in 2023.
Troy Fautanu joined Fuaga on the All-Pac 12 First Team this past season.
JC Latham made the 2023 All-SEC First Team. He allowed just two sacks in more than 1700 snaps over the last two years.
Amarius Mims didn’t allow a sack during his college career and won a pair of national titles with Georgia.
He has been getting some attention from the Steelers, as they met with him at the Combine, attended his Pro Day, and brought him in for a pre-draft visit.
Tyler Guyton didn’t allow a sack in 355 pass block snaps in 2023.
All of these guys could be taken off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft and it seems like there’s a pretty good chance one of them is going to the Steelers.