Patriots add depth to their offensive line, draft tackle in 3rd round
The New England Patriots needed to address three positions heading into the 2024 NFL Draft: quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle.
The Patriots have done just that in the first three rounds.
After selecting Drake Maye in the first round, New England added a weapon for him on offense and selected Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round.
In the third round, Eliot Wolf checked another box off the pre-draft checklist and selected Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace at No. 68 overall. A four-year starter in Happy Valley, New England, hosted Wallace on a Top 30 visit earlier in the month, and offensive line coach Scott Peters attended his Pro Day.
He also met with the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Commanders leading up to the draft.
The right tackle, who played all four years of college ball with the Nittany Lions, stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 314 pounds. He appeared in 47 games at Penn State, starting 40 of them. Similar to new teammate Michael Onwenu, Wallace can play inside as a guard or remain as a tackle, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Wolf met with reporters after selecting Wallace and said the team has a plan in place for their new offensive lineman.
"We feel like Caeden has the athleticism to play over on the left side,” said Wolf. “Olu Fashanu was the reason why he played on the right [at Penn State]. He's a really smart and dedicated kid that we feel like can handle it."
Wallace is a traits-based prospect, possessing long arms (34 inches), big hands (nearly 11 inches), and explosiveness (9-foot-8 broad jump). With Onwenu entrenched on the right side, the rookie might be the future left tackle protecting Maye’s blindside.
