The Patriots have a handful of needs as the start of the new NFL year draws near, but one stands out above the rest.
New England must improve its offensive tackle situation over the offseason. The Patriots only have three tackles under contract for the 2023 campaign, and one of them has yet to play a game at the NFL level. Another -- Connor McDermott -- has spent time with three teams since entering the league in 2017. In short, it would highly benefit both New England and starting quarterback Mac Jones to have a legitimate stud at both of the tackle positions.
Enter Mike McGlinchey, who Football Outsiders' Aaron Schatz would be a great free-agent addition for the Patriots.
"The Patriots need to do a better job of protecting Mac Jones, but they also want strong run blockers because their offense is so run-heavy," Schatz wrote. "Signing McGlinchey to replace the departing Isaiah Wynn should improve the Patriots in both areas. Although McGlinchey's PBWR is in the bottom half of the league for tackles, he's still a better pass protector than Wynn. And McGlinchey's RBWR of 81.2% ranked fifth among all offensive tackles last season."
McGlinchey playing his entire NFL career to date under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco probably appeals to Bill Belichick as well. However, there's a good chance the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft drives up a price tag that's out of New England's range.
The same goes for the other top-tier offensive tackles about to be available on the open market. As such, don't be surprised if the Patriots try to stabilize the position through the draft.
