A Patriots Fan's Draft Wish List: OT Kingsley Suamataia

Justin Casterline. Getty Images.

Those of you who've been following along on this series (And let's face it, who isn't? A middle aged draft nerd taking uneducated guesses about the plans of a 4-13 team is uniting the country like no cultural event since the last two Avengers films.) will note that in the last one, I liked Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. I stand by that choice and would still love to get him. But that presumed the Patriots will wait until the 3rd round, 64th overall pick, to address a gigantic sinkhole in the roster, starting left tackle. Assuming they feel the need to fill that gaping hole sooner and wait on wide receivers, I really like BYU's Kingsley Suamataia. To the point I'm making note of that every-other-letter-is-an-A pattern in his name so I don't waste any time Friday night if/when they take him off the board.

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My go-to site for such info, NFL Mock Draft Database, has had Suamataia consistently going in the late-40s to mid-50s range. And he's currently projected to be the 44th pick. Putting him very much within New England's grasp at 34. Perhaps even while adding a Day 3 pick, if Eliot Wolf wants to risk it. Even at 34, this would be a value pick in my humble estimation:

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU. 6-foot-5, 326 pounds, 34 1/4" hands, 5.04 40-time, 31 bench press reps

The thing that jumps right out at you is that combination of size, speed and power. One of the things that I liked most about Amegadjie is his arm length of 36 1/8", which is highly prized among O-line coaches. Suamataia combines an impressive wingspan of his own with the most bench reps at his position at the Indianapolis Kennel Show (the 4th most by anyone) and a 40-time that was tied for 13th among tackles. This is not one of those guys who played on the edge in college but who projects to a move inside. He's a pure tackle. 

A product of Orem High School, where they won state championships all four years he was a starter, Suamataia was a 5-star recruit. And has lived up to it in his two years as a starter in Provo after transfering from Oregon and redshirting as a freshman. In his 24 career games, consisting of 746 passing snaps, he allowed just two sacks and 14 total hurries. 

Positives: Again, it's the aforementioned cocktail of size mixed with atheticism, blended with a shot of strength and power. He also played both tackle spots for the Cougars, in case versatility is your thing. As you'd imagine with that ratio of size and speed, he excelled at outside zones, moving in space, and getting up to the second level on lead blocks. He's also able to maintain his balance as he slides out to take on edge rushers and pick up stunts. 

Negatives: As the 24 career games would indicate, he doesn't have as much experience as you'd like, and wont' even turn 22 until the end of his rookie season. As such, he needs polish to his game. All those little nuances of the position that most coaches carefully nurture over months and years, but Dante Scarnecchia used to beat into his rookies with a Category 5 storm of profanities. Things like hand-fighting, leverage, pad level, play recognition and so forth. In all likelihood, this would be more of a pick for 2025 than 2024. But he may take to coaching faster than that. And regardless, he gives them a chance to solidify this area of desperate need for the next 10 years. 

The Generic Equivalent of: Abraham Lucas