New England Patriots: Five 2018 NFL Draft picks to watch in 2019
1. Isaiah Wynn
The top draft pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has an increased importance in his second season with the departures of left tackle Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle via free agency.
The fact that Isaiah Wynn is coming back after sitting the entire season with a torn Achilles is a reason the loss of Brown doesn’t seem as major. At the same time, it is an injury that can take some time to come back from which makes the loss of Waddle a bigger void.
If protecting Tom Brady’s blind side wasn’t enough pressure, Wynn’s ability to bounce back from the Achilles injury will be of higher importance. If he takes a similar road to healing and rehabbing as former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork did during his recovery, the offensive line should be in good shape come the start of the season.
Like Wilfork, Wynn is a big body who will depend a lot on his range of motion to be productive. In that respect, the former New England Patriots great offered some advice to the top draft pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
"“Some people say it will take you up to a year to feel like your normal self,” Wilfork said, via ESPN. “Honestly, it took me probably a year and a half. But once I got to that point…I felt like I could have played another five, six, seven more [seasons] if I wanted to, but I got to the point where I felt it was time for me to do something different. I left the game healthy and nothing was bothering me.”"
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In summary, patience will be the key with Isaiah Wynn. He has the ability to be the starting left tackle, but it may take a little time for him to perform at a high level physically. The good thing is that he is young and should turn out to be a long term fit at the position.