As the 2023 NFL Draft draws closer, NESN.com is taking a closer look at this year's crop of prospects to spotlight ones that could be on the New England Patriots' radar.
For each position, we've highlighted a handful of potential Patriots targets on Day 1, Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) and Day 3 (Rounds 4-7), with the acknowledgment that some players could wind up going earlier or later come draft day.
Next up: offensive tackles.
DAY 1
Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
6-foot-4, 313 pounds
A center in high school, Skoronski became a three-year collegiate starter at left tackle and was recognized as the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten. He's projected to go in the top half of Round 1 and could be a top-10 pick. The question, though, is whether he'll play tackle or guard at the NFL level, as his 32 1/2-inch arms lead are shorter than what most teams look for in the former. But Skoronski is the total package otherwise, and the Patriots traditionally haven't valued length at tackle the way other teams do.
Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
6-foot-6, 313 pounds
Johnson is the opposite, boasting 36 1/8-inch arms that rank in the 96th percentile for tackles. He allowed two sacks and no quarterback hits last season, per Pro Football Focus, and scouting reports praise his athleticism and fluidity. He lacks experience, however, starting just one season at left tackle for the Buckeyes after playing right guard in 2021. That could turn off a Patriots team that traditionally has favored more seasoned O-linemen early in the draft.
Broderick Jones, Georgia
6-foot-5, 311 pounds
Jones was nearly flawless in pass protection for the national champion Bulldogs (no sacks, two QB hits allowed) and brings the kind of tenacity as a run blocker that New England often values in its linemen. His 4.97-second 40-yard dash was the fastest of any O-lineman at this year's NFL Scouting Combine. Like Johnson, his biggest drawback is his relative inexperience as a 1 1/2-year starter at left tackle, which could lead to some early growing pains in the pros.
Darnell Wright, Tennessee
6-foot-5, 333 pounds
Experience isn't a concern with Wright, nor is positional versatility. He started 27 games at right tackle and 13 at left tackle at Tennessee. At 333 pounds, Wright also is beefier than his fellow projected first-rounders. He has the power and mindset to abuse defenders in the run game. He also allowed no sacks and just two QB hits in 2022 while posting the third-best pressure allowed rate of any Power Five tackle, per PFF. Add in the fact that he had one of his best games against Alabama standout Will Anderson, a projected top-five pick, and played in the Senior Bowl, and Wright might be the best Patriots fit of any early-round tackle. We had New England trading down to take him at No. 21 in our latest mock draft.
DAY 2
Dawand Jones, Ohio State
6-foot-8, 374 pounds
If the Patriots want a similarly gargantuan tackle to play opposite Trent Brown, Jones is their guy. He's probably the largest player in this draft at any position. There are understandable questions about his athleticism at that size, but that didn't prevent him from being one of the best pass protectors in college football in 2022, with zero sacks, zero QB hits and just five total pressures allowed in his second season as OSU's starting right tackle. Jones was another Senior Bowl participant.
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
6-foot-4, 315 pounds
Harrison saw plenty of action at left tackle for the Sooners, starting two full seasons there and playing an additional 300-plus snaps as a true freshman. Across three seasons and 24 starts, he allowed just four sacks (one in 2022) and three QB hits (zero), per PFF. There's a chance that he and/or Jones could sneak into the tail end of Round 1.
Cody Mauch, North Dakota State
6-foot-5, 302 pounds
Mauch is a fascinating prospect. He arrived at NDSU as a 220-pound tight end, then gained more than 80 pounds over the course of his college career and developed into a legit NFL tackle prospect, starting 30 games on the left side over the past two seasons. His long red hair and missing front teeth are sure to make him a fan favorite wherever he lands, as will his desire to demolish defenders in the run game. He's undersized, though, and has the same short-arm concerns as Skoronski (32 3/8 inches), portending a potential move to guard. The Patriots, who reportedly are hosting Mauch for a visit, used early-round picks in two of the last three drafts on small-school prospects like him who competed at the Senior Bowl (Cole Strange, Kyle Dugger).
Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
6-foot-5, 318 pounds
Bergeron offers a wealth of experience at both tackle spots, starting 16 games on the right side and 23 on the left over four seasons. His NFL.com draft profile praises his "scheme-versatile, Pro Bowl-caliber run-blocking potential" but knocks his inconsistent technique as a pass protector. He allowed five sacks as a senior after surrendering just one in 2021, per PFF. Bergeron was a team captain at Syracuse and had a strong week at the Senior Bowl, where he played both tackle and guard.
DAY 3
Blake Freeland, BYU
6-foot-8, 302 pounds
A combine darling, Freeland ranked first among O-linemen in Indianapolis in the vertical jump, broad jump and 10-yard split; third in the 40; and fourth in the three-cone. He's a terrific athlete, as those rankings illustrate, and was a four-year starter and team captain in college, with starting experience at both tackle spots and a Senior Bowl invite on his record. Freeland allowed a total of one sack over his final three collegiate seasons and was PFF's second-highest-graded FBS tackle in 2022. He'll likely need to pack on some pounds in order to hold up against NFL edge rushers, however.
Tyler Steen, Alabama
6-foot-6, 321 pounds
Despite starting his college career as a defensive lineman, Steen was a four-year starter at offensive tackle in the SEC, spending three of those years at Vanderbilt before transferring to Bama as a grad student. He participated in the Senior Bowl and had standout moments at both tackle and guard. New England loves drafting Nick Saban disciples, and Steen checks plenty of Patriots boxes.
Connor Galvin, Baylor
6-foot-7, 293 pounds
Galvin tested poorly at the combine and is drastically undersized from a weight standpoint. But he started 50 games for Baylor (mostly at left tackle) and was one of the top performers at the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl, where he played for the Patriots-coached West Team. If Bill Belichick and company liked what they saw that week, he could be worth a late-round flier.
