Did the Patriots mess up with their offensive line draft strategy?

Did the Patriots mess up with their offensive line draft strategy? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

What good is a promising young quarterback when no one can protect him? It’s a question New England Patriots are asking themselves heading into the 2024 season.

Drake Maye has flashed his high upside with a solid training camp and an impressive preseason finale performance vs. the Washington Commanders. The rookie has made a convincing case to start Week 1 over veteran Jacoby Brissett, but there is trepidation to put him behind the team’s porous offensive line.

Should the Patriots have prioritized building a strong offensive line over drafting a quarterback in Round 1? Phil Perry joined Tom E. Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast to share his thoughts on Eliot Wolf and Co.’s approach.

“If you like Drake Maye, then they should take Drake Maye. It’s a quarterback, you’ve got to take the quarterback if you believe in him,” Perry said. “Did they have to take (wide receiver) Ja’Lynn Polk with their second-round pick, or were there tackles there? Was there a tackle for them to be had in the late second round or early in the third round before they ended up settling on Caedan Wallace?

“There was a run on offensive linemen. We talked about it the night of the third round, where it looked like they kind of got the last guy in a tier of offensive linemen that happened to play tackle. That could’ve been their guy all along, which is sort of what they told us that night, but it just didn’t seem like that’s what the league felt about the players that came off the board.”

Perry wouldn’t have changed the Patriots’ first-round approach, but he would have made more of an effort to address the tackle position in Round 2.

“For me, the criticism wouldn’t be, ‘Don’t take Drake Maye because you need an offensive lineman.’ It’s, ‘Take Drake Maye and then build the offensive line with your second-rounder and maybe even another second-rounder by moving around some of the picks you already have, just to give yourselves a better shot at better talent at that position,'” Perry added. “Because right now, Caedan Wallace looks like maybe your swing tackle. That’s not what you needed.”

The Patriots have nine offensive linemen on their 53-man roster after cutdown day:

Also in the episode:

• Breaking down the biggest names being released by the Patriots on cutdown day

• Any promising names available on the waiver wire? Any chance it can help the offensive line?

• How much confidence do you have in Eliot Wolf and the front office to fine-tune this roster before the start of the season?

• Irrelevant Questions with DeMario Douglas!