A look at some offensive tackle prospects the Patriots might have their eyes on in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots’ offensive tackle position has been a problem for quite some time now, on both sides of the line. Now heading into 2024 — the first year post-Bill Belichick — the unit is ripe for a restart, especially on the left.
Before taking a look at the draft prospects available, though, let’s quickly go over the players currently under contract at the position.
- Michael Onwenu (71) | Opening day age: 26 | Contract: Signed through 2026
- Chukwuma Okorafor (77) | Opening day age: 27 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Calvin Anderson (76) | Opening day age: 28 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Conor McDermott (75) | Opening day age: 31 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Vederian Lowe (59) | Opening day age: 26 | Contract: Signed through 2025
- Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (72) | Opening day age: 27 | Contract: Signed through 2024
- Andrew Stueber (64) | Opening day age: 25 | Contract: Signed through 2024
The Patriots re-signed Michael Onwenu to a three-year contract this offseason, and appear to have finally committed fully to making him their right tackle of the present and the future. His return solidifies that position, but there are still considerable questions at both the other tackle spot and the depth behind both positions.
At the moment, free agency pickup Chukwuma Okorafor is the team’s top option at left tackle — director of scouting Eliot Wolf said so himself this week. While Okorafor was a third-round draft pick in 2018 after gaining extensive experience on the left side in college, he a) is only playing on a one-year contract, and b) spent virtually his entire NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a right tackle.
The Patriots therefore remain in the market for a left tackle, either to compete for the starting job in 2024 or to take over from 2025 on. They also remain in the market for improved depth at the position given that the other options — other than Conor McDermott, to a degree — have not shown they can be trusted to suddenly step in.
Luckily for the Patriots, this year’s tackle class is quite deep from the top down.
Before diving into the names, though, a quick disclaimer: players who are projected to play right tackle at the next level, or who will likely kick inside to guard, are not considered here, sorry, Taliese Fuaga, JC Latham, and Troy Fautanu. Likewise, most of the names listed here are projected to be selected on the first and second days of the draft because that is where the group is deepest and the Patriots likely to make a move if they want a serious starting option.
Joe Alt (Notre Dame): Alt projects as a high-quality tackle right from the start of his career, and to only get better with more experience. He could very well develop into a franchise left tackle holding down the position for a decade-plus. The question for the Patriots would be whether they would entertain the idea of picking offensive tackle over quarterback with their first selection. | Expected round: 1 (Top 10) | Draft profile
Olu Fashanu (Penn State): Fashanu might have the highest ceiling of all O-linemen in this year’s class, and like Joe Alt could hold down the fort at left tackle for a decade or more. Despite his undeniable potential, the question of “Worth it over a quarterback?” also hangs over him as far as the Patriots are concerned. | Expected round: 1 (Top 15) | Draft profile
Amarius Mims (Georgia): Even though he was a right tackle at Georgia, Mims has the size and natural pass protection skills to make the move to the left side and possibly even start from Day 1. He is more of a project than Fashanu and especially Alt, but his potential is equally enticing — so much so that a move up the board from No. 34 might be worth it if he starts sliding. | Expected round: 1
Jordan Morgan (Arizona): Morgan comes with questions about his length, and whether a move to the inside might make sense for him. That said, he possesses the athletic foundation and technical refinement to become a high end starter at left tackle early in his career and would likely be an immediate upgrade for New England. | Expected round: 1-2 | Draft profile
Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma): While things might get off to a slower start for Guyton after he started only 15 games during his four-year college career — and only one at left tackle — he has all the tools to become a high-end starter. He offers prototypical size and a strong athletic makeup. | Expected round: 1-2 | Draft profile
Kingsley Suamataia (BYU): A two-year starter at BYU, Suamataia offers an intriguing mix of athleticism, developmental outlook, and positional flexibility. He might be more of a long-term investment, but has some traits to work with. | Expected round: 2
Patrick Paul (Houston): If you were to draw an offensive tackle from scratch, chances are he would look a lot like Patrick Paul. On top of his 6-foot-8, 331-pound frame, he also has rare physical gifts that might allow him to develop into a high-end starter at the next level. | Expected round: 2 | Draft profile
Brandon Coleman (TCU): While not the tallest tackle prospect at 6-foot-4, Coleman has exceptional length and the effortless moving skills to become a factor from early in his career. Add his tackle/guard flexibility and you get a “just find a way to get him onto the field”-type of lineman. | Expected round: 2-3
Blake Fisher (Notre Dame): The Yin to Joe Alt’s Yang, Fisher started opposite the projected first-rounder the last two years. He has the frame and baseline athleticism to make the move to the left side if asked to do so, but might need some time to fully reach his potential. | Expected round: 3
Kiran Amegadjie (Yale): Amegadjie offers good size, but is far from a finished product. Not only is he coming off a season-ending quad tear suffered last October, he also has limited reps on his résumé and needs to continue refining his technique. | Expected round: 3
Roger Rosengarten (Washington): Rosengarten doesn’t offer ideal size, with his arm length, wingspan and hands all far below average for a tackle prospect. What he does bring to the table, though, is starter-caliber athleticism and a well-developed technical makeup. | Expected round: 3-4 | Draft profile
Christian Jones (Texas): Jones combines experience with good build and left/right flexibility. Will he become more than a third swing option? That remains to be seen, but teams will likely not be afraid to find out. | Expected round: 3-4
Javon Foster (Missouri): The foundation is there, Foster only needs more development before turning into a starter option. But even if he never does, he could provide plenty of value as a swing tackle. | Expected round: 4-5
Caedan Wallace (Penn State): All 40 of Wallace’s career starts came at right tackle, and asking him to move over and start at left tackle Day 1 would be a tall task. However, he could serve as a developmental third option with starter upside right out of the gate. | Expected round: 4-5
Frank Crum (Wyoming): Crum is not just an imposing figure at 6-foot-8, 313 pounds, but also an outstanding athlete and highly experienced player. While not a ready-made starter, he could turn into one — both on the left and the right — further down the line. | Expected round: 5-6
Ethan Driskell (Marshall): Like Crum, Driskell also is a towering developmental tackle — he measured over 6-foot-8 and 313 pounds at the Combine — who knows how to use his size to his advantage. He offers less versatility, though. | Expected round: 5-6
Walter Rouse (Oklahoma): A 56-game starter at left tackle for the Sooners, Rouse has prototypical size and length. While not a top-tier athlete, he offers plenty of NFL-caliber traits. | Expected round: 5-6
Travis Glover (Georgia State): Glover improved each year throughout his college career. If he can stay on that upwards trajectory, he could become a top swing tackle who can start no-questions-asked when needed too. | Expected round: 6-7 | Draft profile
As can be seen, New England will have plenty of options to address the need at left tackle and to improve the group overall. In fact, the team double-dipping would not come as a surprise either: pairing a more ready-made Day 2 option with a developmental swing option on Day 3 would make some sense for a team that would benefit from both a starter and some better depth.
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