Focusing On The FOUR Openings At OT

[Nunchucks]

The top 3 qbs all have things that are concerning. The patriots can trade back a few spots get a top LT and fill other needs. Draft a qb later and again next year.

Picking a top rated qb that is likely to be a bust just because they are at 3 is pretty silly.

 

[mgteich]

I'm thinking take 2nd round or trade up from 2nd round back into first.
Alternative, if not drafting a QB at #3, is trade back and take tackle high in the first.

I agree with trading back into the first for an OT; we'd get up to about 23 using our 2nd and 3rd.

However, I wouldn't want us to depend on a late first round rookie to protect the franchise. The player might take some time to develop into a solid starter.

 

[KCSVEN]

I agree with trading back into the first for an OT; we'd get up to about 23 using our 2nd and 3rd.

However, I wouldn't want us to depend on a late first round rookie to protect the franchise. The player might take some time to develop into a solid starter.

I agree, you need to add some depth there in free agency but not sure you will get someone better than the rookie either. Offensive Tackle seems the hardest position to fill outside of QB, which is why you should prioritize drafting Tackles and QB's in the first round, assuming there is someone worth the pick, until you have a good one.

 

[mgteich]

I agree, you need to add some depth there in free agency but not sure you will get someone better than the rookie either. Offensive Tackle seems the hardest position to fill outside of QB, which is why you should prioritize drafting Tackles and QB's in the first round, assuming there is someone worth the pick, until you have a good one.

Perhaps the veteran free agent won't be "better" than the rookie. However, the veteran may be ready to start Game, while the rookie might need time to learn and develop.

 

[mike_usagisan]

The trade chart has it taking a 3rd to get us to 23. But that is what I've expected for weeks. IMO, this is what we need for the future.

I'd do that to get a good LT.

 

[50-yard-line]

If they sign Onwenu to be anything other than guard then they are starting off on the wrong foot already, which would be a terrible sign for the future.

Sign Okorafor or Williams and another lower end guy to be a backup.
And they need to think long and hard about what to do with that #3 pick. Ideally you draft 2 tackles early and pry that new coach works out.

You can get mahomes in here, if you don’t fix that line it won’t matter.

There aren’t enough good OTs in the league for every team. That’s the truth.

The other truth is that the two top-rated OT - OT! - in FA are both Patriots.

Brown has some reasons to shy -injury, attitude maybe - but Onwenu does not.

We underrate our own terribly. Oneenu should be a staple for this team for another 5 years, at least.

The only other guys who might perform better are either risks, like Becton, or older, like Smith.

 

[jmt57]

Caveat: mock drafts don't mean anything at all, so therefore a consensus of all mock drafts doesn't mean anything either.

That said, it is at least a decent starting point of what we fans can expect in regards to who will be available when.

2024 Consensus Mock Draft | NFL Mock Draft Database

The 2024 Consensus NFL Mock Draft from NFL Mock Draft Database. We've compiled all featured mocks into a single popular 1st round mock draft.

www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com

Offensive Tackles, based on a consensus of all mock drafts:

#7 --- Joe Alt, Notre Dame
#10 -- Olu Fashanu, Penn State
#14 -- J.C. Latham, Alabama
#18 -- Amarius Mims, Georgia
#21 -- Troy Fautanu, Washington
#24 -- Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
#25 -- Jordan Morgan, Arizona
#31 -- Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
#51 -- Patrick Paul, Houston

Based on the information above, the Patriots may be picking from a bare cupboard looking for an OT at #34. That would mean they would need to trade up, which would be unfortunate given the number of holes in their roster that are in need of an upgrade.

Caveat #2: all the information above is based on a consensus of mock drafts. Below is a consensus of Big Boards. There is one OT that did not appear in the consensus of mock drafts, but was #14 in the consensus of Big Boards.

2024 Consensus Big Board | NFL Mock Draft Database

The 2024 Consensus NFL Big Board from NFL Mock Draft Database. We've compiled all featured big boards into a single board.

www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com

#8 --- Joe Alt, Notre Dame
#10 -- Olu Fashanu, Penn State
#14 -- Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
#18 -- J.C. Latham, Alabama
#22 -- Amarius Mims, Georgia
#25 -- Troy Fautanu, Washington
#26 -- Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
#36 -- Jordan Morgan, Arizona
#42 -- Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
#45 -- Patrick Paul, Houston
#86 -- Kiran Amegadjie, Yale
#101 - Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
#114 - Christian Jones, Texas
#128 - Javon Foster, Missouri
#139 - Roger Rosengarten, Washington
#144 - Matt Goncalves, Pitt
#188 - Julian Pearl, Illinois
#200 - Ethan Driskell, Marshall

It looks to me that if the QB the Patriots want is available at #3, they will probably have to trade up to get a good OT with their second draft pick. If on the other hand they trade down from #3, they may be able to get one of the best OTs (Alt, Fashanu), plus a tier 2 QB (J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix or Michael Penix).

Either way, another veteran OT must be added to the roster prior to the draft (re-sign Onwenu, free agency or trade).

 

[Scotty]

I agree with practically all the comments above. This maybe a long shot and I am probably talking out of my behind but should we hold out hope that the new OLine coaches will be able to salvage at least McDermott for the new season. Based purely on the media reports I am hopeful that the new coaches will be a success. Clutching at straws but no harm in hoping.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

1.) sign Jonas Williams for right tackle.
2.) draft Paul with our second round pick for left tackle
3.) draft Blake fisher with our 3rd round pick.
4.) resign McDermott

 

[mgteich]

1.) sign Jonas Williams for right tackle.
2.) draft Paul with our second round pick for left tackle
3.) draft Blake fisher with our 3rd round pick.
4.) resign McDermott

The patriots have come a long way. We now expect 2nd rounders to start at LT.

 

[mgteich]

1.) sign Jonas Williams for right tackle.
2.) draft Paul with our second round pick for left tackle
3.) draft Blake fisher with our 3rd round pick.
4.) resign McDermott

it's a plan.

The open question is where we can draft a starting LT. I guess that I would expect to use a 4th to move up a few spots into the first to have more choices. It might even take our 3rd.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

1. Sign Tyron Smith, solid LT
2. Sign Eluemunor as swing T
3. Draft Guyton w/ #34 as RT
4. Draft a couple other T in late rounds

This is way cheaper than tagging Onwenu, who is a RG.

I agree. But Smith is cooked. Pass.

T Brown or M Becton as a stop gap? Eluemunor is good. I agree about not tagging Onwenu. That would be crazy IMO.

 

[mgteich]

I agree. But Smith is cooked. Pass.

T Brown or M Becton as a stop gap? Eluemunor is good. I agree about not tagging Onwenu. That would be crazy IMO.

or Williams

 

[Spiral]

I agree with many of the previous posts--tackle is the biggest need and Onwenu isn't the solution. He seems like a guy who would like to be paid tackle money to play guard. Trade out of #3, draft 2 tackles with the top 2 picks, sign a couple of free agent tackles, and put a patch over the hole at QB until the o-line is rebooted.

 

[AQPE]

Nobody is letting a good LT walk unless there’s just no choice financially (e.g., Armstead with NO, Orlando Brown with KC) or something very wrong with the relationship with the player (e.g., Wynn). The way things are in the league right now, I’d argue that LT is the hardest position to secure other than QB. The transition from college football the way it’s played now to the NFL is obviously more difficult than it had been in the psst.

I am convinced that guys like Trent Brown, Jonah Williams, Mike Onwenu, and Mekhi Becton will be overpaid in free agency due to the poor overall market for LTs in the league these days. The desperation relative to that position is why each year you see teams reaching in the 1st round for guys like Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu who aren’t good players.

I don’t want to see the Pats tie up a lot of money or spend high picks on guys that aren’t worth it. That’s how they got into the predicament they are in now.

So from my perspective the fix for the Patriots is to get the right guys coaching the OL rather than hoping to hit some lottery in FA or the draft. The OL coaching has not done well since Scarnecchia’s second retirement. Maybe Popovich would have done better but the COVID vax issue couldn’t be resolved (not a topic I’m interested in discussing here).

If the new guys are good at what they do then they should be able to develop a competent OL without spending pick #3 on someone or overspending on guys like Brown or Williams, or trading valuable picks to move up for a guy like Guyton or Jordan Morgan. People here have mentioned McDermott. I’d be fine with bringing him back but a lot more interested to see if they can do anything with Anderson, Wheatley, and Lowe.

 

[bakes781]

The patriots have come a long way. We now expect 2nd rounders to start at LT.

In this years class they just might.

Round 2 targets:
#42 -- Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
#45 -- Patrick Paul, Houston

round 3 Draft this kid:
#86 -- Kiran Amegadjie, Yale

All have the ideal size for LT

 

[mgteich]

If the new guys are good at what they do then they should be able to develop a competent OL without spending pick #3 on someone or overspending on guys like Brown or Williams, or trading valuable picks to move up for a guy like Guyton or Jordan Morgan. People here have mentioned McDermott. I’d be fine with bringing him back but a lot more interested to see if they can do anything with Anderson, Wheatley, and Lowe.

There is oo need to use valuable draft capital or cap money at this very important position. Just have the OL coaches do their job and make Love and Wheatley into all-pros. WOW!

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Lt at 34 or slight trade up
Rt at 68 to compete with chuks, loser becomes swing

 

[AQPE]

There is oo need to use valuable draft capital or cap money at this very important position. Just have the OL coaches do their job and make Love and Wheatley into all-pros. WOW!

Calm down, I didn’t say they would be turned into All-Pros, I said with good coaching the OL should become competent. I don’t think that’s a particularly high expectation.

My point was that I hope they don’t overspend either their available salary capped budget or limited draft capital on guys that aren’t worth the cost.

With that said, I’m going to “invest” confidence in the organization and be happy and supportive of whatever they decide this spring. If that means a Jonah Williams and/or a Joe Alt at #3 I will be happy to see the potential improvement over what they had out there at OT last season (and the season before). I think they are already in a better position than they were heading into last year. Okorafor has the potential to be a starter, Anderson may be healthy again, Wheatley is apparently someone they believe was worth keeping, I was pleasantly surprised by McDermott, and in my view they are in better shape with their IOL now than they were this time last year.

 

[mgteich]

LCalm down, I didn’t say they would be turned into All-Pros, I said with good coaching the OL should become competent. I don’t think that’s a particularly high expectation.

My point was that I hope they don’t overspend either their available salary capped budget or limited draft capital on guys that aren’t worth the cost.

With that said, I’m going to “invest” confidence in the organization and be happy and supportive of whatever they decide this spring. If that means a Jonah Williams and/or a Joe Alt at #3 I will be happy to see the potential improvement over what they had out there at OT last season (and the season before). I think they are already in a better position than they were heading into last year. Okorafor has the potential to be a starter, Anderson may be healthy again, Wheatley is apparently someone they believe was worth keeping, I was pleasantly surprised by McDermott, and in my view they are in better shape with their IOL now than they were this time last year.

fair enough; ty for the additional context
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Last year, our starters were Brown and Onwenu. I don't think that we are better off as of now. Even if you say Brown, McDermott for 2023, I think that this was better than now. I have little faith in our current LT's in 2023, even with good coaching.

RIGHT TACKLE
Actually, I am fine with our addition, with a 4th round draft choice as a backup, with McDermott on the PS. If the draftee doesn't work out, we can deal with position again next off-season.

LEFT TACKLE
To me, this is one the most important positions on the team. I don't want a Love or Wheatley this year and next. If Anderson is healthy, he is automatically our swing OT.

I would use our 34 and trade up with our 3rd to get the best LT we can draft.

For this year, we need to sign a starter in free agency. This could be someone on a 1 or 2 year deal, s we are doing for RT.