Inside the Patriots Draft Room: Finding the Final Pieces to Reclaim the Lombardi Trophy
Offensive Tackles
The biggest hole currently on the Patriots roster is the left tackle position. If Tom Brady is going to play beyond his current contract which expires after the 2019 season, he’s going to need someone reliable to protect his blindside. With Nate Solder no longer around, this critical position is up for grabs.
More from NFL Mocks
- NFL Draft: Ranking the top signal callers of the 2024 NFL QB Class
- 2024 NFL Mock Draft Journal: Cardinals, Falcons tank for USC QB Caleb Williams
- Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
- Fantasy Football: 5 reasons Colts QB Anthony Richardson can be a top-end option
- Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023
Two players on the roster, LaAdrian Waddle and 2017 third-round pick Tony Garcia are in the mix, but are unproven at the position. Will the Patriots use an early pick on a left tackle to bookend Marcus Cannon? Judging by which tackles fit the mold, it’s very likely.
Highly-valued skills:
height, weight, 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle (71 graded)
1. Gerhard de Beer (Arizona) 77.7%
2. Kolton Miller (UCLA) 55.5%
3. Jordan Mailata (Australia) 38.8%
4. Cole Boozer (Temple) 22.2%
4. David Steinmetz (Purdue) 22.2%
6. Korey Cunningham (Cincinnati) 16.6%
Fell below the minimum threshold in one category, but still finished with a positive score:
1. Connor Williams (Texas) 27.7%
2. Brian O’Neill (Pittsburgh) 16.6%
2. Desmond Harrison (West Georgia) 16.6%
The best fit from a historical perspective is Kolton Miller. One downside to his selection is the fact that UCLA felt Conor McDermott was a better left tackle and he couldn’t make the Patriots roster. Other prospects who are expected to be top-50 picks are Connor Williams and Brian O’Neill. An intriguing late-round selection or undrafted free agent would be Gerhard de Beer of Arizona. He scored as the best fit for the Patriots, although he has only played football for three years and is a right tackle.