Top Needs
With the third overall pick in the draft, the Patriots needs will be a balancing act between wisely using the available cap space to set the table for at least two potential high-impact Top-50 draft selections and filling some current holes on the roster with reliable veterans. Listed below are the needs that make the most sense to address in Free Agency based on the team’s veteran needs and the players available on the open market.
1. Offensive Tackle
The Patriots have already reportedly made a move at offensive tackle and it was a needed one considering the team’s lack of proven players at the position. Before Free Agency, New England signed former Steelers tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, a 2018 third-round pick with 27 starts under his belt as a right tackle. Otherwise, it’s Calvin Anderson, Vederian Lowe and Andrew Stueber, while 2023 trade acquisition Tyrone Wheatley Jr. was retained as an Exclusive Rights Free Agent. Anderson is the most experienced of the bunch but was limited to just five games last season due to an illness. Recent social media posts indicate that Anderson is ready to return fully and he’s not without some potential after logging 12 starts in three previous seasons with the Broncos. Lowe played every down for the Patriots in 2023 from Weeks 2-6 but became more of a rotational player later in the year. Stueber and Wheatley have yet to make their NFL debuts.
Add all this up and tackle is a critical need both in free agency and the draft for the Patriots, though Okorafor is a solid signing. It’s not a great free agency class outside of Tyron Smith, the future Hall of Fame left tackle from the Cowboys, but Smith is 33 and could be more interested in an immediate contender than even a hefty payday from the Pats. The Bengals’ Jonah Williams could be a solid right tackle option that at least gives them a starting point on one side, and former Patriot Jermaine Eluemunor, who played mostly guard in NE, could also…
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