Which Patriot Has Been A Bright Spot On An Otherwise Cloudy Offensive Line?
Rewind to the 2022 NFL Draft when most fans (myself included) laughed at the Patriots for selecting a left guard out of Chattanooga with a top 32 pick.
Understandably, the Patriots had traded Shaq Mason to the Bucs at the time to free up some cap space. However, now that we are three weeks into the season and Mason looks like he has lost a step, Cole Strange is playing at a starting caliber with plenty of room to grow into a fantastic player. Both teams are coming off a loss, but only one has an injured quarterback.
The offensive line has had its fair share of issues to start the season; most of these issues have come from other areas of the group (more on that next). The two names I’ve heard the least have been Strange and Onwneu because they have played the best out of this group. With the offensive line, whether it’s the mouth of the ref or the commentator, no news is good news, and both of them have been too solid to be in any sort of spotlight.
The Patriots Have A Tackle Problem
Trent Brown is one of the most giant humans I’ve seen in quite a while; when he is engaged, he is one of the better linemen in the league. Brown has played at his height for about 60 snaps through three games. That’s roughly a third of the time he is on the field. The rest of the time, he has looked disinterested, overwhelmed, or less than one hundred percent and Mac was punished for it. During this time, the offense truly struggled as well.
Isaiah Wynn has been an more significant issue, being penalized twice per game; these are typically a false start or a hold but come in the most inopportune moments. An example of this is right after the big 31-yard Devante Parker play in the first quarter, Wynn got flagged for an illegal formation which stalled our momentum, and nothing came to fruition on that drive. So instead, he gets beat, gives up on the play, and doesn’t give the effort a tackle should in protecting Mac.
The coaching staff and one of the tackles let Mac down on that final play that allowed him to get hurt. Since Mac will miss an extended period, the Patriots might go through a drought this season. No one is talking about the team tanking, but wins will be hard to come by, and a top 12 draft pick could be in our sights. It wouldn’t be as much a laughing matter if the Patriots decided to pick a tackle with a premium pick.
Cole Strange Is The Future Anchor Of This Patriots’ Offensive Line
So now that we discussed the bad performances of our offensive line, we can talk about Cole Strange, who proved he was worthy of a late first-round pick. His first game in Miami left a lot to be desired, considering the line played so poorly. But, last week, when he threw Casey Hayward on the ground a few times versus the Steelers, he made his first mark in the NFL.
In this past match-up against the Ravens, he struggled slightly early, giving up a sack but then buckled down and finished the game strong. Throughout 182 snaps, Strange has let up one sack (eighth in PFF rating) and six pressures. There is some room to improve, but he has had a solid start to build off. Strange seems to have that nasty side in him that can allow him to be an incredible lineman. He finishes blocks and goes after people after the whistle occasionally. Cole brings energy, athleticism, and youth to this line that desperately needs more of it.
Everlast
Strange and Onwenu have been the Patriot’s best players on the offensive line; I haven’t heard Onwenu get criticized once in the offseason or up to this point. David Andrews has been consistently good, but even he has been called for a couple of tough holding calls that hurt the Patriots. Trent Brown is fourth on this list seeing as his potential is so high if he is playing up to the Belichick standard. Finally, Isaiah Wynn is probably the weakest link on the line right now. Even at his peak, he is barely a top 20 tackle, and this season might be his valley with all the penalties, injuries, and decreasing production year after year.
Conclusion
The Patriots might be in a premium position in the 2023 NFL draft, don’t be surprised when the time comes that the Patriots select a tackle to sure up these problematic offensive line issues. The inside is stout but Andrews will need a replacement soon enough. Acquiring a tackle with a top-tier first-round draft pick wouldn’t make as much noise as the left guard but fans around here will always have something to say. And in reality, this keeps us here at Stadium Rant going, so we send a hearty thanks to all the fans with an opinion and an urge to let it out.
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