With a wild opening night of the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, it won’t be long until the Patriots are back on the clock in Round 2.
After taking Drake Maye at No. 3 overall, New England’s next selection is No. 34, the second pick of the second round. With quarterback checked off, offensive tackle is one of the team’s most obvious remaining needs.
“I just think we need to support (Maye) in any way we can, on the field, off the field,” de facto general manager Eliot Wolf said Thursday night. “We need to add some weapons to the offense. We need to shore up the offensive line.”
So might the Patriots add an impact lineman at No. 34? Seven offensive tackles came off the board on opening night, but here are the best available players still on the board in the second round:
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Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
One of the most polarizing Day 2 tackles, the 6-foot-4, 326-pounder spent a full season on both sides of the line during his two years as a starter at BYU. Suamataia is ranked as highly as 40th overall in Dane Brugler’s “The Beast” draft guide, but NFL Network whiz Daniel Jeremiah has him at No. 121 in his Top 150 prospects.
Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
A two-year starter at Notre Dame, Fisher is one of the younger tackles in the draft at just over 21 years old. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder played the vast majority of his snaps at right tackle, which would either necessitate him switching sides at the highest level or Mike Onwenu moving over to the blindside in New England. Neither seems like an ideal solution.
Christian Jones, Texas
Turning 24 years old next month, Jones was on the six-year plan at Texas. It afforded the 6-foot-5, 305-pound tackle plenty of experience — 61 games, 48 starts — and he played on both sides of the line, but the opportunity for growth may be limited with so much football already under his belt.
Patrick Paul, Houston
A mountain of a man at 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds, Paul started 44 games across five seasons at Houston, all on the blindside. With arms that measure 36.25 inches and a 86.25 inch wingspan, Paul has the longest reach of any tackles in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Roger Rosengarten, Washington
A two-year starter at right tackle on Washington’s mostly-stellar offensive line, Rosengarten clocked the fastest 40-yard dash among tackles at the 2024 NFL Combine (4.92 seconds). With only right tackle experience however, the 6-foot-5, 308-pounder runs into the same issue as Fisher; who protects the blindside in Foxborough?
