New England has brought in a bona fide weapon in Stefon Diggs (assuming he’s healthy), but another premium offensive position still demands attention: left tackle.
The Patriots failed to find the right player to protect their quarterback’s blind side last offseason. Now, with future franchise hopes pinned on Drake Maye, it’s a more pressing concern than ever before – and the options for New England in 2025 look far from ideal.
Option 1: First-round draft pick
In case you’ve stayed away from the Great Arm Length Controversy around tackle prospect Will Campbell, here’s the deal: Campbell, a 21-year-old LSU product, has been majorly dinged by mock drafters for his 32 5/8-inch arm length, taken at the NFL Combine. NFL tackles tend to have measurements at 33 inches or more. But at an LSU pro day this week, he clocked in at a convenient 33 inches.
Campbell is 6’6 and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy – the top award for SEC linemen. There’s no doubting his talent, just his positional fit.
The Patriots’ entire offensive line needs help, but with the 4th overall pick, they want a tackle rather than a guard.
Missouri tackle Armand Membou is another prospect the Patriots could take in the first round, especially if they find a quarterback-needy team like the Jets as a trade partner, should a quarterback remain available at the 4-spot. Membou has the opposite issue of Campbell. He comes in rather short as a tackle at just 6’4 (I know, “just”), but has a 33 ½ inch wingspan. He also played predominantly on the right side in college, an area of need the Patriots just checked off with Morgan Moses. However, NFL.com praised his “varied pass-set strategy and crafty hands” as well as the “unusual maturity” in his game.
Elsewhere in the first round, there doesn’t appear to be a 2025 equivalent of Joe Alt. That’s too bad. In a perfect world, the Patriots would be able to draft a blue chip left tackle a year after their quarterback, sign or trade for a receiver, and have a dramatically improved offense in Drake Maye’s second season. This isn’t a perfect world.
Option 2: Day 2 draft pick and sign stopgap
Draft watchers were buzzing over Mike Vrabel’s appearance a Boston College pro day earlier this week, where tackle Ozzy Trapilo ran drills in front of multiple Patriots front office members. Trapilo has great size at 6’8 and a 33-inch wingspan, but he still has some filling out to do in his frame and needs to improve his hand quickness and body control. His dad started as a guard for the New Orleans Saints, so he’s got the game in his blood.
Trapilo is projected by most to go in the third round. Other tackle prospects in the second round could be a great long-term fist for New England, and grow alongside Maye. But the big question is whether Day 2 guys could be starters this season, especially considering the NFL’s limited padded practices in training camp compared to past eras. The Patriots have struggled to get freshly drafted guards up to speed, and left tackle is an even more premium position.
It may make sense to sign a stopgap starter – even if it’s a pricey, short-term investment. Jets left tackle Tyron Smith just turned 34 and remains a free agent. When he’s on the field, he’s terrific. It’s the “when” that’s the problem, and 14 years in the league doesn’t make him more durable.
He still may be worth it, to plan for now and later.
Option 3: Day 2 draft pick and roll with Lowe or pray for a trade
As previously mentioned, New England could get the most bang for their buck on Day 2. Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is another project the Patriots could grab in the second round, but still leaves them vulnerable in Week 1.
Would New England be open to developing someone like Conerly and starting Vederian Lowe? Lowe, 25, was put in a tough spot last season when Chukwuma Okorafor tapped out of the NFL after a dozen snaps. He’s really not a starter, his play is lackluster and he racked up 13 penalties last year. The question is whether the Patriots feel he could be a stopgap, and how quickly a draft pick could develop.
The final option is to work a trade for left tackle, but starters don’t shake free often. The Washington Commanders were able to snag 30-year-old Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans in a shocking trade for four picks. New England has plenty of draft capital if any whispers about another trade option emerge – but that’s not worth holding one’s breath.
