Patriots 7-round Mock Draft 1.0: Drake Maye selected No. 3, jumpstarts post-Belichick era in Foxborough

Patriots address their offensive tackle needs in fifth round

Patriots fans will be screaming for the team to select a tackle in this draft, and they will finally address that need in the fifth round with the selection of Matt Goncalves out of the University of Pittsburgh.

The Patriots will be desperate for offensive line help even if they somehow re-sign Trent Brown.  There will be an opportunity to address this need in the first two rounds, but for a team and an offense in need of playmakers and game changers, the team will address those needs and then use the late rounds of the draft to find players like Goncalves.

At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, Goncalves has the prototypical size of a tackle and may have been ranked a lot higher coming out of college had he not redshirted his senior year at Pittsburgh.  This is where the Patriots could get lucky in the mid-late rounds of the draft to fulfill their needs along the line.

With experience as both a left and right tackle, Goncalves build, toughness and athleticism and ability to attack with the outside shoulder makes him a good tackle to run behind and his width makes him a good pass protector.  Good coaching could make him a steal in the draft.  With what the Patriots had in 2023, it really can’t get any worse…right?

Goncalves to New England…bet on it.