Patriots draft tackle Caedan Wallace in third round with 68th overall pick

FOXBORO -- After drafting a quarterback and a wide receiver with their first two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Patriots addressed a need along their offensive line in the third round. New England drafted Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace with the 68th overall selection on Friday night.

Wallace is a big fella at 6-foot-5 and 314 lbs, and while he primarily played right tackle throughout his career with the Nittany Lions, both he and the Patriots believe that Wallace has what it takes to move to the left side of the line.

"I'm a baller," Wallace said in his video chat with New England reporters Friday night, adding that he's "super confident" he can make the switch.

The New Jersey native started all 13 games in 2023 and allowed just one sack on 359 pass blocking snaps. That stellar protection earned Wallace All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades. Wallace made 40 career starts for Penn State and played over 1,200 snaps at right tackle, so he should be ready to play at the NFL level. 

Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf said that Wallace played right tackle at Penn State because Olu Fashanu was holding down the left side. He is completely confident in Wallace's abilities to be a left tackle, and thinks he could play some guard as well.

"He's a really smart and dedicated kid that we feel like can handle it," said Wolf. "We think he could be a four-position guy, but definitely feel like he can play on the left side."

That's great to hear because the Patriots are set at right tackle with Mike Onwenu signing an extension over the offseason. But the Pats could use some depth behind him and they'll need as many bodyguards as they can get for their quarterback -- whether it be Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye -- with Chukwuma Okorafor projected as the team's starting left tackle. 

Calvin Anderson, Vederian Lowe, Conor McDermott, Andrew Stueber, and Tyrone Wheatley Jr. round out New England's lackluster depth at tackle. 

The Patriots also drafted Washington receiver Ja'Lynn Polk with the 37th overall pick on Friday night, after trading back from the 34th pick with the L.A. Chargers. New England turned a fifth-round pick into a fourth-round pick with the move, going from pick No. 137 to No. 110 on Saturday afternoon.

The Pats intended to draft Polk at No. 34, but felt OK moving back a few spots based on how the board was playing out. Wolf said the team considered moving back again from the 68th pick, but a run on tackles got them a bit nervous so they decided to stay put and draft Wallace.

"We explored moving back from 68, but then thought, 'why?' This is the guy we wanted all along," Wolf said of Wallace. "Sometimes [the board] doesn't fall for you; it fell very nicely for us tonight."

The Patriots started their 2024 NFL Draft by taking UNC quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick.