The New England Patriots could go big at pick No. 23.
Shortly before the kickoff of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday, Albert Breer of The MMQB reported he “would not be surprised” if the Patriots selected an offensive lineman with their first-round pick.
“Earlier this week, I gave you Alabama S Xavier McKinney and Oklahoma LB Kenneth Murray as Patriot types in the first round, along with Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet,” Breer wrote. “I’ll say that I would not be surprised if they address their offensive line at No. 23, depending on how things fall.”
New England reportedly held virtual pre-draft meetings with Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland and Houston tackle Josh Jones, both of whom could be selected in the second half of the first round. Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson and USC’s Austin Jackson are other tackles who could go in that range.
Poor tackle depth hurt the Patriots’ offense last season, and they’re currently without a proven swing tackle to back up the oft-injured Isaiah Wynn and soon-to-be 32-year-old Marcus Cannon.
With the Patriots also lacking interior O-line depth and potentially looking to trade left guard Joe Thuney during the draft, Michigan center/guard Cesar Ruiz has been mentioned as a potential target at No. 23. Ruiz is considered the top interior lineman in this year’s draft class.
McKinney, Murray and Kmet all have been popular Patriots picks in various mock drafts, including ours. New England also could look to trade down and acquire additional picks, as they’re currently not set to draft again until No. 87.
