NY Jets falling in love with top Senior Bowl offensive line prospect

The NY Jets have been heavily connected to a number of the top offensive line prospects in this year's 2024 NFL Draft, and it appears as though one name has caught their attention.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported this week that the word coming out of Mobile is that Jets general manager Joe Douglas "has an affinity" for Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga.

The Jets were able to get a close look at many of the top prospects in the draft this week, as defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was down in Mobile, AL serving as the head coach of the Senior Bowl's National Team.

Fuaga is arguably the most highly-touted prospect at this year's Senior Bowl. He's been receiving genuine top-10 consideration, and it seems as though the Jets are eyeing him with the 10th overall pick in the draft.

The NY Jets are reportedly smitten with Taliese Fuaga as a draft target

Fuaga's stock has been rising rapidly over the last few weeks. While there was at one point a consensus top two offensive tackles in this class, Fuaga has shaken up those projections.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah recently ranked Fuaga as his No. 11 overall prospect in the 2024 draft, notably one spot ahead of Penn State's Olu Fashanu. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Fuaga taken before Fashanu at this stage.

At 6-foot-6, 334 pounds, Fuaga was a two-year starting right tackle at Oregon State, earning first-team All-American honors in 2023. He's been described as a dominant run blocker with excellent balance and quick feet in pass protection.

The Jets will be looking to add multiple new starting offensive linemen this offseason, perhaps two new starting tackles. Fuaga projects as a day-one starting right tackle, and many believe he can match the switch over to left tackle in the NFL.

The Jets have shown a preference for Senior Bowl players in the past. The likes of Will McDonald, Jermaine Johnson, Jeremy Ruckert, and Max Mitchell are all Senior Bowl alumni the Jets targeted in the last two drafts. Fuaga could join them.

We have our first potential smokescreen (or not!) of draft season. The Jets are reportedly all over Taliese Fuaga.