Grading The 2024 New England Patriots Draft
By Ryan Bunton
3. Third Round (68th Overall): Caedan Wallace, OT, Penn State
The Patriots addressed a glaring need in the third round, adding a young offensive tackle to their o-line unit that was rightfully much maligned in 2023.
With the 68th overall pick, New England selected Caedan Wallace, an OT from Penn State.
Grade: B
New England's intentionality in building the offensive side of the ball through the first four rounds is a welcome development, as that side of the ball largely held the team back in 2023 while the defense put in some impressive performances. Putting Drake Maye in a position to succeed is also pivotal, especially in light of the failed Mac Jones experiment.
Wallace made all 40 of his starts for the Nittany Lions at right tackle, including the 2023 season where he was tabbed as an honorable mention All-Big Ten. He only allowed one sack in his 13 starts last season.
Michael Onwenu just got paid and is almost assuredly the Week 1 starter at right tackle, so it is reasonable to suggest that New England might be looking to shift Wallace to the blindside. The Patriots also signed Chukwuma Okorafor from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason, and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf has been on record saying that Okorafor would be the starting left tackle if the season started tomorrow. Okorafor has not appeared in a single NFL game at LT.
If New England landed a natural left tackle here, it would definitely grade higher. Maybe Wallace does make a seamless transition to the position (if that is even the Patriots' goal), but a player like Patrick Paul, who went 55th, would've been a great get.