Patriots Draft Tre’ Jackson, Shaq Mason to Bolster O-Line
The New England Patriots addressed a major need in round four of the 2015 NFL Saturday, adding a pair of offensive linemen with back-to-back picks to bolster the depth of the unit. Bill Belichick drafted guard Tre’ Jackson out of Florida State and guard Shaq Mason out of Georgia Tech.
With the 111th pick of round four, the Patriots snagged Jackson. Jackson, a starter from 2012-2014 at Florida State, was a consensus All-American selection this past season as a senior. Current Patriots center, Bryan Stork, started alongside Jackson on the Seminoles offensive line for two seasons before being drafted. Two duo won a national championship together.
The Patriots were in desperate need of a guard. Starting left guard Dan Connolly is a free agent and will likely play elsewhere in 2015. Jackson, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 330 pounds, should compete for a starting guard position. His chemistry with Stork on the interior of the line will be worth watching when team practices get underway.
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Twenty selections later, with the 131st pick, the Patriots added Mason. Mason and Jackson are actually good friends as the two both played in the ACC. Mason, like Jackson, is an experienced starter. He started 27 games over the last two seasons for the Yellow Jackets.
Mason stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 300 pounds. Now he is a bit small, but is regarded as a fierce run blocker. He’s versatile, can play tackle and will provide valuable depth at all the offensive line positions. Because of his size, a move to center at the NFL level is not out of the question for Mason.
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Given the combined experience and potential both Jackson and Mason possess, the Patriots emerged as major winners in the fourth round. Jackson is the product of a winning collegiate program and Mason is a jack of all trades.
Nate Solder, Bryan Stork and Sebastian Vollmer are the only current linemen projected to start for the Patriots in 2015. Jackson and Mason will be left to battle it out with Ryan Wendell, Marcus Cannon and Cameron Fleming for the guard positions.