Over the past two seasons, the New Orleans Saints have had major issues on their offensive line. Since left tackle Terron Armstead left as a free agent following the 2021-22 campaign, there has been a particularly glaring hole at tackle. It’s a hole that has widened with RT Ryan Ramczyk’s injury decline and subsequent sidelining this entire season due to knee issues.

Free agent acquisitions, roster shuffling and draft picks have failed to provide the answers needed. Those failures forced the Saints to spend a top-20 first-round pick at tackle for the second time in three offseasons this spring.

New Orleans continued to have blocking issues in 2024. Most of those issues occurred on the interior, where injuries deprived the team of all three starters for much of the year.

Tackling hasn’t been one of the many issues that have plagued New Orleans this season. The quality and long-term future of the position were met by two first-round investments, including one that most had abandoned due to massive bankruptcy.

The 19th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Penning was considered a somewhat raw but extremely promising talent out of Northern Iowa. A foot injury in the final preseason game of his rookie year kept him from winning the left tackle job and sidelined him for the first 11 games of that season.

Once healthy, Penning was only used as a supplemental blocker before finally getting his first NFL start in the 2022-23 season finale. Recruited as a starter at left tackle to start last year, Penning experienced great difficulties. He was finally benched in the sixth game of the year and only saw 13 offensive snaps over the final 11 games of the year.

Moved to the right this offseason, many thought Penning would still be the weak spot on an already suspect offensive line. Instead, he became perhaps the unit’s most consistent performer. He’s also been durable, missing just six offensive snaps in 11 games in New Orleans this year.

Penning, just 25 years old, has been a dominant run blocker most of the time for a team that prefers to run on that side. The 6’7″, 325 lb mammoth still shows some inexperience and footwork issues in pass protection, but has greatly improved that area of ​​his game.

A 2023 1st-team All-American at right tackle with Oregon State, the Saints made Fuaga the 14th overall selection in last spring’s draft. He was the fourth tackle chosen and one of eight tackles chosen in the first round.

Although he played as a right tackle in college, Fuaga was moved to the left side by the Saints. He was installed as an immediate starter and demonstrated a smooth transition to the position. Growing at his position, Fuaga also only missed 17 offensive snaps in his 11 starts for the team.

Fuaga has been a standout run blocker, especially on sweeps and throws to his side. Despite his inexperience at the position, he also proved to be an excellent pass protector, while often going against the opponent’s best passer.

Fuaga’s performance against the Browns in Week 11 highlighted how special he can be. Cleveland DE Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, came into this game with seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. In Thursday’s win over Pittsburgh, Garrett destroyed the Steelers with three sacks, four pressures and a forced fumble.

Against the Saints, Garrett primarily faced Fuaga on the left side of the New Orleans line. Garrett was not only held without a sack, but he didn’t even record a single tackle or pressure in the Saints’ win.

At just 22 years old, Fuaga is quickly rising among the league’s best young stars at this position. Penning and Fuaga are also still on rookie contracts, which is key for a Saints team looking to rebuild while dealing with major salary cap issues.

One area that won’t need attention in the off-season is tackle. Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning have not only solidified a point of weakness, but are also important anchors for an offense as they look to rebuild for the future.