{"id":14013,"date":"2025-02-14T11:47:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=14013"},"modified":"2025-02-14T11:47:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:47:05","slug":"protecting-drake-maye-3-tackles-the-patriots-must-target-in-the-2025-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=14013","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Drake Maye: 3 tackles the Patriots must target in the 2025 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5312,h_2988\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/25\/01jm1ze6jm0abq8mbsfz.jpg\" alt=\"New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\">The New England Patriots offensive line was a glaring weakness in 2024, and if they hope to improve in 2025, addressing the tackle position is a must. With no clear in-house answer at left tackle and uncertainty on the right side, reinforcements are desperately needed. A left tackle tandem of Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs proved disastrous last season, as the Patriots surrendered 52 sacks\u2014their highest total since 1999 and the fifth-most in the NFL.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\">According to ESPN\u2019s Mike Reiss, New England ranked dead last in pass block win rate (50.8%) and run block win rate (67.6%) in 2024. The struggles up front had a direct impact on the offense, with Rhamondre Stevenson averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry and the passing game failing to find rhythm. Simply put, if the Patriots want to take a step forward in 2025, solidifying the tackle position must be a top priority.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\">With that in mind, here are three offensive tackles New England should consider in the 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-3\">Three offensive tackles the Patriots should consider<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"inline-text-4\"><strong>Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\">If New England targets an offensive tackle with the fourth overall pick, Kelvin Banks Jr. could be their top choice. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound left tackle is an elite athlete with quick feet and strong technique, making him an ideal blindside protector. In 2024, he became the first player in Texas history to win both the Outland and Lombardi Awards while earning unanimous first-team All-American honors. He allowed just one sack and 10 pressures all season, posting an elite 98.9% pass-blocking efficiency. A hard worker with excellent hand usage and mobility, Banks is tough to bull rush and excels in space. While his run blocking has been inconsistent at times, his pass protection skills and overall athleticism make him an immediate upgrade over Vederian Lowe<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_1024,h_576\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/25\/01jkykpaqrx7n4d150hg.jpg\" alt=\"Kelvin Banks Jr. could be a great fit in New England\" \/><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"inline-text-7\"><strong>Josh Simmons, Ohio State<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\">If New England trades down in the first round and targets an offensive tackle, a strong option at left tackle would be Ohio State\u2019s Josh Simmons, the top offensive tackle on my board. He would be an excellent fit for the Patriots due to his elite pass protection, having allowed just one pressure this season. Bleacher Report even named him the top pass-blocking offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft. Beyond his pass-blocking prowess, Simmons possesses the mobility to reach the second level with ease and consistently finishes his blocks. However, he is likely to fall to the middle of the first round due to a season-ending knee injury.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"inline-text-9\"><strong>Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\">If the Patriots wait until the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Oregon\u2019s Josh Conerly Jr. could be an excellent fit at offensive tackle. This past season, Conerly allowed just nine pressures and one sack, showcasing his reliability in pass protection. He followed that up with an impressive Senior Bowl performance, earning Offensive Lineman Practice Player of the Week honors for the National squad. As a pro prospect, Conerly possesses the quick feet and overall athleticism needed to step in as a rookie starter at left tackle for New England.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"inline-text-11\"><\/h3>\n<figure><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The New England Patriots offensive line was a glaring weakness in 2024, and if they hope to improve in 2025, addressing the tackle position is a must. With no c<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Protecting Drake Maye: 3 tackles the Patriots must target in the 2025 NFL Draft - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=14013\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Protecting Drake Maye: 3 tackles the Patriots must target in the 2025 NFL Draft - Breaking News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The New England Patriots offensive line was a glaring weakness in 2024, and if they hope to improve in 2025, addressing the tackle position is a must. 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