Cameron Fleming RT, 4th 140 - Nice Pick

The pick:Cameron Fleming, offensive tackle, Stanford.

Mike Reiss' take: After not selecting an offensive lineman in the 2012 and 2013 drafts, the Patriots double-dipped this year, first with center Bryan Stork (4th round, 105th) and then Fleming. This is important from a feed-the-pipeline and salary-cap integrity standpoint. Specific to Fleming, the pick strikes me as "Marcus Cannon Insurance." Cannon enters the final year of his contract and he's proven to be a starting caliber player who could be worthy of a lucrative contract next offseason that the Patriots might not be able to match. There also is an element of "Sebastian Vollmer Insurance" as well, as the team's starting right tackle is recovering from a broken ankle sustained last October and has battled injuries at times over his career.

Size stands out: Fleming is listed at 6-foot-4 7/8 and 323 pounds. It just so happened that Stanford coach David Shaw was on NFL Network at the time of the pick, and he said, "The first thing that stands out is size." Shaw added that 323 pounds might be generous. Fleming was an Aeronautics and Astronautics major at Stanford.

Offensive tackle depth chart:Nate Solder (left), Sebastian Vollmer (right/left), Marcus Cannon (right), Fleming (right), Jordan Devey, R.J. Mattes.

What's next: The Patriots have three sixth-round picks (179, 198, 206) and a seventh-rounder (244).​

Stanford offensive tackle Cameron Fleming was taken by the Patriots with the 140th overall pick in the draft on Saturday.

The 6-foot-5, 323-pounder is a two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 pick who made his bones as a right tackle as a collegian — he started 28 games at the position the last two years. He graduated with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics, and will likely battle to work as a backup tackle behind starters Sebastian Vollmer (right tackle) and Nate Solder (left tackle).


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Here is the scouting report for Fleming from CBSSports:​

He started 38 games for Stanford against very good Pac-12 opposition. He’s also graduating in the spring with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics. So he’s wicked smart.

At 6-5 and 323-pounds Fleming is another big body on the line. He’ll provide injury insurance for Sebastian Vollmer and Marcus Cannon.​

The New England Patriots continued to build on their depth on the offensive line in the fourth round.

After earlier selecting center Bryan Stork out of Florida State, the Patriots added Stanford tackle Cameron Fleming with pick No. 140. Fleming majored in aeronautics and astronautics.

The 6-foot-4, 323-pound Fleming started 14 games at right tackle last year for Stanford, helping the Cardinal rush for a school-record 2,904 yards.

Fleming will provide insurance behind Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle.​