Assessing every rookie offensive tackle after Week 1

• The Saints' Taliese Fuaga shines in his debut: Fuaga’s 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade tied for fifth among offensive linemen in Week 1.

• J.C. Latham has room for improvement: The Titans rookie excelled as a run-blocker but surrendered five pressures —including one sack — on 38 pass-blocking snaps.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

The first week of the 2024 NFL season provided an exciting slate of matchups. Offenses around the league struggled to find their rhythm, and quarterbacks weren’t at their sharpest.

Offensive rookies, too, were generally quiet throughout most of the initial 16 games. That also applied to rookie tackles, of which only four who were drafted in the first round saw action to begin the season.

Below is a breakdown of how those four fared, plus analysis for later picks at the position.

Taliese Fuaga, New Orleans Saints

The Saints’ offense was humming against the Panthers, posting 47 points and a league-best 84.8 PFF offensive grade. Fuaga, the 14th overall pick, was a critical reason why. In his NFL debut, Fuaga played all 66 snaps at left tackle, earning a 72.7 PFF overall grade — the best mark among rookie tackles and the second-best mark among all rookie offensive linemen.

The Oregon State product was tremendous in pass protection, allowing zero pressures on 26 opportunities, including two matchups with Jadeveon Clowney. Altogether, Fuaga’s 87.3 PFF pass-blocking grade tied for fifth among offensive linemen in Week 1.

Fuaga was a bit weaker in the run game, netting a 65.0 overall mark. However, his first taste of professional action was undoubtedly a success.

Brandon Coleman, Washington Commanders

Second-overall pick Jayden Daniels was the headliner Washington rookie to play, but the third-rounder Coleman was also solid. The TCU draftee played 13 snaps at left tackle even though veteran Cornelius Lucas saw the bulk of the action (44 snaps).

On a limited workload, Coleman notched a 65.1 PFF overall grade. He was better in the run game (67.0 PFF grade) than in pass protection (57.4), as he gave up one pressure on eight opportunities. With Washington’s left tackle situation still in flux, head coach Dan Quinn could elect to give the 67th overall pick additional opportunities to block for Daniels.

Caedan Wallace, New England Patriots

The Patriots’ offensive line extended its preseason struggles into the regular season, ranking 28th in PFF pass-blocking grade in Week 1. But a positive from the showing was Wallace, the team’s third-round pick.

Wallace played 18 snaps, all of which came at inline tight end on jumbo formations, mostly on running plays. He netted a 64.2 PFF overall grade with a PFF 61.5 run-blocking grade and a superior 70.2 PFF pass-blocking grade, not giving up a pressure on his lone passing-blocking snap.

Head coach Jerod Mayo displayed a willingness to make in-game shifts along New England’s offensive line in Week 1, swapping Chukwuma Okorafor for Vederian Lowe at left tackle. If more issues persist, Wallace’s playing time could be elevated.

J.C. Latham, Tennessee Titans

One of the cornerstones of an overhauled Tennessee offensive line, Latham was decent in his first NFL appearance. The seventh overall pick played 63 of 64 snaps at left tackle, finishing with a 64.2 PFF overall grade.

Latham put his power and drive on display in the run game, where his 82.6 PFF run-blocking grade ranked 13th among all offensive linemen in Week 1. Yet, he was a liability in pass protection, surrendering five pressures — including one sack — on 38 opportunities. The former Alabama tackle had trouble with both DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor but didn’t face Montez Sweat as a pass-blocker.

If Latham can maintain his foundational run-blocking prowess and tighten up his pass protection moving forward, he has the tools to turn in a solid rookie season.

Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers kept Justin Herbert upright in his first game under Jim Harbaugh, allowing only seven total pressures and one sack against a stout Raiders front. Alt, the fifth overall pick, had a big say in that.

The Notre Dame rookie was superb in pass protection, notching a 76.6 PFF grade. He was especially sound against stars Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, not permitting any pressure on 20 combined pass-blocking matchups with the pair.

However, Alt’s PFF overall grade (60.8) was weakened by his run blocking. The rookie struggled in that department to a 47.8 mark.

Kingsley Suamataia, Kansas City Chiefs

Suamataia prevailed in the Chiefs’ left tackle battle, starting all 54 snaps at the position during Thursday night’s opener. However, he still has ample opportunity for growth.

The second-round pick was solid while protecting Patrick Mahomes, giving up only one pressure on 31 opportunities — good for a 61.4 PFF pass-blocking grade. But the BYU product wasn’t as effective in the run game, finishing with a 37.3 PFF grade. That run-blocking grade was the second-lowest mark among all linemen in Week 1, ahead of only the Jaguars’ Anton Harrison.

Roger Rosengarten, Baltimore Ravens

Rosengarten entered in relief of starting right tackle Patrick Mekari in Week 1. Combining the circumstances of his debut with a ferocious Chiefs front, he had a rough go of it in Kanas City.

The former Washington Husky ended the game with a 44.4 PFF overall grade. He wasn’t sharp in pass protection, giving up two pressures — one of which was a sack by Chris Jones — on only 12 opportunities. The run game proved better for Rosengarten, but his 48.2 mark was still lackluster.

Baltimore’s offensive line was a collective mess in blocking for Lamar Jackson, and Rosengarten will need to refine his craft if he’s given additional starting reps.

Tyler Guyton, Dallas Cowboys

Guyton had about as tough of a matchup as any tackle in Week 1, battling Myles Garrett and the unbelievable Browns defense. The rookie ended his debut with a 42.0 PFF overall grade, which was the fifth-lowest mark among all tackles in Week 1.

The first-rounder had some lapses in pass protection, allowing a sack and two total pressures on 36 tries. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, bested Guyton twice in 13 matchups. A good sign, though, was that Guyton didn’t allow a pressure in eight contests with Za’Darius Smith.

Guyton proved better in run blocking, but his 49.1 mark was still below expectation. Altogether, the 22-year-old might have some growing pains as he blocks for Dak Prescott in his first year.