Patriots 2023 Draft Preview: Offensive Tackle

Current Roster: Trent Brown, Yodny Cajuste, Riley Reiff, Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott, Andrew Steuber

Positional overview: As much as we all get distracted by the jingling keys that are positions like wide receiver, tight end, edge rusher and cornerback, for the most part at draft time, the Patriots have built from the football-out. In Bill Belichick's 23 drafts, he's taken an offensive lineman in the first or second round seven times. Including his first draft (new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm) and his last (Cole Strange). Which should be all the convincing you need that his approach to building a winner hasn't changed much. 

And possibly never in all that time has offensive tackle been a bigger priority than it is right now. Last year's starters were Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn, and they joined forces to combine perhaps the biggest weakness on the team. Brown was 4th in the league at his position in penalties with 13. Wynn was only 18th with nine. But since he only appeared in nine games, that's not getting a mention on his next job application. Together they were Wonder Twins of Holding. The Dynamic Duo of False Starts. Brown had the 28th lowest pass blocking efficiency rate at 96.0%, while Wynn had the 13th lowest with just 95.2%, making them the worst bookends since those ones you tried to make for your dad in 7th grade shop class. 

Klemm comes here with a pretty empty fridge to cook with. Wynn and Marcus Cannon have yet to sign anywhere,.and could possibly be back. They added Riley Reiff. Conor McDermott was brought in after being drafted by New England in 2017 and played well enough in six starts. Andrew Steuber was a 7th round flyer out of Michigan last year who tore a hammy and never saw the field, so he's an unknown quantity. 

For better or worse, this is by all accounts a position that has quite a few top-tier tackle prospects, but lacks the depth of some recent years. So it's likely that if you're going to find someone to anchor your line for the next 10 or so years, you'd better get your shopping in early. Based on the attention they've been giving most of those highly rated edge blockers, that's what they intend to do. 

Consensus Best Tackle in the Draft:

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern. 6-foot-4, 313 pounds, 5.16 40-time

Let's begin by addressing the elephant in the room: That name. It'd almost be a shame if he's not drafted by the Bears. In 1963. Because he sounds like he should be lining up inside of Mike Ditka. Or is the name of the Chris Farley character in the Da Bears skit talking about Ditka. Regardless, he's a top half of the first round projection due to having the most refined, polished, NFL-ready technique in his class. He doesn't get pushed around or suckered by pass rush moves, with the poise and patience to make a rusher commit, the quick feet to react to them, and the confidence he can lock on and take them out of the play. Like a lot of names on this list, he gets listed as a guard on a lot of draft sites due to the fact he's got stubby, 33-inch T-Rex arms and is not a monster in terms of size. But he plays like one. And since he's been starting at LT in the Big Ten since he was a true freshman, he's a tackle in my world. And, I hope, on my football team.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Zack Martin

Two Mortal Lock 1st Rounders the Pats Met With:

Paris Johnson Jr, Ohio St. 6-6, 313 lb, 4.97 

A Top 10 prospect in 2020, Johnson is the best pure pass blocker in this group, with a solid base to sink and anchor rushers, and the agility to mirror his assignment, to go along with his sub-5.00 speed. He's played both ends of the line, moving to LT last season, where he gave up just two sacks and zero QB hits in 449 passing snaps. He's also a gifted all around athlete, which shows up on the film when he's on the move, coming off the line quickly and getting into the second level. He's a mid-1st round selection at the very least. And could set up a team with a solid Pro Bowler on either side of the formation for the foreseeable future.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Laremy Tunsil

Broderick Jones, Georgia. 6-5, 311 lb, 4.97

If you lack the stomach for another 1st round tackle from Georgia after five years of Wynn, I understand. And I'm here for you. Call me anytime you need to talk about it. That said, Jones - dare I say it - fits the Patriots mold. They love guys at every position along the front who can move, pull, go inside to trap on gap runs and get outside to lead block in the screen game. And that is Jones' superlative among all the tackles in this draft. Another Top 10 overall prospect, he had a couple of starts as a true freshman, backed up as a sophomore, then became a full time starter last season, trebucheting himself into the top tier of prospects. In addition to his move skill set, he's got explosive hands that produced as many pancake blocks as any tackle in the country. The Pats were at Georgia's Pro Day. Of course. That's analogous to a white suburban dad saying his wife went to Home Goods. But they did work with Jones quite a bit and it's hard to imagine he's not very much in their thinking at No. 14.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Andrew Thomas

A Borderline Round 1/Early Round 2 Pick:

Darnell Wright, Tennessee. 6-5, 333 lb, 5.01

In Wright, we've just completed the Top 10 Overall Prospect Trifecta. In his 42 career starts over three seasons, he switched from RT to LT and then back again. His senior year was by far his best, playing over 500 total passing snaps without a surrending a sack. The highlight of which came in last season's Alabama game, when he threw and Invisibility Cloak over likely Top 3 pick Will Anderson. On the year, he only gave up pressures at a 1.7% rate, which was third lowest in the nation. He uses his hands effectively, especially in second effort/recovery pass protection situations. And as a run blocker, he gets low for a big gentleman and produces power in drive blocks. He's a hell of an option as a value pick if one of the top three don't fall to you.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: DJ Fluker

The Next Tier, Likely Day 2 Selections:

Anton Harrison, Oklahoma. 6-4, 315 lb, 4.98

Harrison is another one who is very much a technique guy, with footwork like a big tight end to slide with rushers and get along the line to the point  of attack. But he's also got the functional strength to put down roots against a power rush. A full time LT throughout his career, he gave up a career total of four sacks and three QB Hits in roughly a 1,000 passing downs. I don't know if I promised no maths on these draft blogs, but trust me when I say that's a good ratio of protecting your quarterback.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Dion Dawkins

Dawand Jones, Ohio St. 6-8, 374 lb, 5.35

Darwand Jones is, in my expert, in-depth, well researched analysis, big. Very, big. Putting him on the end opposite Trent Brown would make Klemm's O-line look like the Argonath from Lord of the Rings. (Just hopefully with better mobility.) Or they might just orbit each other like binary stars, crushing the center and guards between them like tiny planets. As you might expect, all that mass makes him the best run blocker in his class, giving him the power to drive opponents into the ground and clear the field for ball carriers. And while he's not the fastest or most mobile O-lineman (that's just physics), he's very capable in protection. He didn't allow contact with his QB in almost 400 pass blocks, and his pressure rate of 1.3% led FBS. Which is less surprising when you find out he's a multi-sport athlete who received several DI hoops scholarships. Add to that his massive 7-foot-6 wingspan, the longest ever measured at the Senior Bowl and his ability to use that length, he's a hard guy to get around without spending 15 bucks on an Uber. The question is whether his lack of speed will be too much to make up against NFL competition. But that question won't keep him from dropping out of the 2nd round.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Trent Brown​. Doy.

Small School Stud: 

Cody Mauch, North Dakota St. 6-5, 302 lb, 5.08

Here's another guy who gets mentioned a lot as someone scouts want to move inside due to his lack of size. But as you'd figure with someone who's 6-5 and barely over 300, there's plenty of space on his frame to add mass. He came to NDSU as a 220-pound tight end, so he's no stranger to the protein powder and weight room. He'll need to, in order to add the strength he was lacking against better competition. His best assets are his speed, athleticism and fluid movement. The downside, in addition to his lack of size is the fact he's already 24 years old. But for a team looking a year down the road a year, he's a steal. Think the Pats in 2011 when they took Nate Solder 17th overall as Matt Light was entering his final season. (Let me add, as predicted right here by me.) Mauch won't go off the board nearly as early as Solder. But he's a potential bargain as a guy with a ferocious attitude who tore up the FBS.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: If I don't go with Cole Strange, I get my Patriots Blogging License suspended.

The 2023 Tackle Prospect Equivalent of Flying Coach:

Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse. 6-5, 318 lb, 5.13

Bergeron's strength is … well, strength. He's big, powerfully built, and experienced, with over 2,500 reps under his mighty belt already. Still, he's a better pass protector than he's a run blocker, with a good sense of defending against stunts and games, passing rushers off to teammates and sliding to uncovered rushers. He's somewhat limited as a move blocker, which might end up getting him kicked inside in the pros. If he comes to New England, Bruins fans may demand he change his name, since they're this close to retiring "Bergeron" from the rest of humanity in honor of their secular god. But long before we had Patrice we had Tom on WBZ-TV, before he hit it big. So what's one more?

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: David DeCastro

Blake Freeland, BYU. 6-8, 302 lb, 4.98

Get a load of this tall drink of water. Freeland actually has more experience than even Bergeron, with an incredible 2,690 snaps. Pro Football Focus gave him the second highest grade of any tackle in BCS (behind only Notre Dame's Joe Alt, who comes out next year). He uses his size to get under guy's pads and gain leverage, in that Archimedes' "Give me a tackle long enough and I can move the entire defense" kind of way. Freeland's problem isn't his upper body; it's all those skipped Leg Days. He'll have to add weight, preferably in his lower body. Because all his power is coming from his chassis instead of his wheels, so he falls off blocks. Still, he is a fascinating prospect with a high ceiling and a low floor.

Compares to Other Leading Brand: Charlie Heck

Tyler Steen, Alabama. 6-6, 332 lb, 5.23

If it seems odd to you that a four-year starter at Bama wouldn't be in the Top 100 prospects, believe me, it's awkward for me too. You just become so accustomed to Nick Saban guys appearing at the top of their position rankings. But Steen is mostly about 10th or so in his group. He's not the superior athlete some of these guys we've mentioned are. But he's strong, tough, aggressive, productive. He spent the 2020 National Championship season just to the left of Mac Jones, and that worked out alright.  The knocks on him tend to be about his lack of elite traits and the fact he tends toward overaggressiveness, that gets him lunging and out of position. Given how cheaply he'll come, it's not hard to imagine Belichick taking a flyer on him.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Andre Dillard

A Late Round Projection the Patriots Met With:

Anthony Bradford, LSU. 6-4, 332, 5.08

Another guy who gets mentioned at guard as often as tackle, since he played both at LSU. He's smart, with a good ability to process calls and respond to shifting fronts/assignments. With a big body and thick frame. But he's limited in his athleticism, which is an issue in an increasingly spread out, zone blocking offenses, relying on motions and taking on smaller, more elusive defenders.

Compares to the Other Leading Brand: Quinton Spain

The Perfect Patriot: I'm tempted to cheat and just say Skoronski, just because he brings so much to the table he's the perfect anybody. But I'm going with Johnson. Just because he comes factory equipped with all the extras they look for in a new model. All of them standard. He's versatile, experienced, good at pass protection, but with the speed and agility block on the backside of plays, and to get upfield to open things up in the short, controlled passing game Bill O'Brien will bring back. 

Whom the Patriots Will Take: Johnson, assuming he's still available with the 14th. Plug him in and you're set for the next five years, at least. If he's not still on the board, Jones is an excellent consolation prize. Then on Day 3, they take Steen, just to see what they can do with him.

Earlier previews:

Wide receivers