An Analyst Thinks the Patriots Found the Right Guy in a Key Area of Need and He'll Get No Argument Here
If I came out of the Patriots draft with any reservations - spoiler, I did - it was that they loaded up on what was already a solid defense, and largely ignored what I thought was their biggest area of need. Namely:
Advertisement
In a draft that was top heavy at offensive tackle, with two of the eventual five 1st rounders still available, Bill Belichick opted to pass. He flipped his No. 14 selection to Pittsburgh who took Georgia's OT Broderick Jones and he took Christian Gonzalez. A great pick, to be sure. And a trade that surely had the added benefit tucking it to the Jets. But it still meant taking their chances in the less fertile fishing grounds of what wasn't considered a particularly deep draft class for tackles.
That was just over a month ago. And the more you look into it, the more a picture emerges of them fishing in a different pond altogether. The took three interior O-lineman between picks 107 and 144. The second of whom, Sidy Sow of Eastern Michigan (No. 117), is drawing some attention as the potential answer to their problems. A guard in college who may be the one-stop shopping solution to all their tackle needs.
Nick Baumgardner in The Athletic (paywall) has a piece projecting which Day 3 selections are most likely to make an immediate impact. And Sow made the short list:
Sow felt like one of the most underappreciated offensive linemen in this draft class. Not only did he work at offensive guard during an extremely dependable career at Eastern Michigan, but he’s also very athletic, measured in with nearly 34-inch arms and probably can play tackle in the NFL. (He was an 11-game starter at left tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2018.)
The Patriots don’t need help at guard right now — Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange are rock-solid players who fit everything New England does. They could use tackle help, though, and Sow has the type of play strength and mindset necessary to kick out and make it work.
Sow, who turns 25 in June, was a very aggressive pass protector inside in college and will have to prove he can handle himself outside. But he’s got what it takes to play early. If it all clicks, the Patriots may have found a terrific value by adding a possible starting tackle or guard in Round 4.
How "very athletic," you're wondering? Good question. I'm glad you asked. Because not only are those 34-inch guns attached to either side of a very OT-sized 6-foot-5, 323 pound frame, Sow also checks all the speed and agility boxes the Patriots have been emphasizing on the outside of the line since the days of Matt Light, Sebastian Vollmer, Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon. Only more so. He's got the kind of traits that get the analytics guys aroused and would make Dante Scarnecchia go consecutive sentences without using cuss words:
Advertisement
By no means is this to be taken as me guaranteeing Sow is your O-line anchor for the next 10 years. Despite GM Bill's success when it comes to finding gems in that sweet spot in the middle of the draft (Cannon, Joe Thuney, Shaq Mason), like the investment people say, past performance is no indicative of future results. If there's one thing the draft sites all agree on, it's that he needs coaching:
NFL - Sow has played a high number of snaps during his time at Eastern Michigan. Despite the starting experience, he struggles to find proper angles in the running game and respond to blitzes/twists in pass protection. While he could continue to improve and has some physical traits to work with, making a roster will be an uphill climb.
33rd Team - Sow plays with good intelligence and eyes. He understands his assignments and looks to help when he does not have a direct threat. Overall, there are things to like in his game, but he needs to get stronger and play with better technique to be an effective lineman at the next level.
All of which is perfectly reasonable given where they selected him. NFL ready, plug-and-play linemen aren't sitting around on Saturday of the draft waiting for their names to be called; they're already catching planes, giving press conferences, and putting on team hats. But with Scarnecchia's replacement finally here in Adrian Klemm, an actual full time professional Offensive Line Coach with experience, I cannot wait to see how a guy with this cocktail of speed and speed develops over the summer and beyond. This head coach's record of turning mid-round line prospects into highly paid Pro Bowlers stacks up against anyone's. And if he's found a starting OT in the 4th round? It'll be one of GM Bill's greatest coups in a career full of them. And that trade in the 1st will look even better than it does now. And that's saying something.