The New England Patriots are getting some face time with one of this year's top offensive tackle prospects.
Georgia's Broderick Jones has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Patriots, according to a report Wednesday from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Jones is considered a first-round lock in the 2023 NFL Draft and should be one of the first players off the board at his position. He's a potential option for the Patriots at pick No. 14 overall, assuming he isn't already taken by then.
Here's what we wrote about the 6-foot-5, 311-pounder in our rundown of potential Patriots tackle targets:
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 (fellow projected first-rounder Paris) 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.
The Patriots typically value experience when targeting offensive linemen early in the draft, and Jones didn't become a full-time starter until his final season, redshirting after two games in 2020 and logging just four starts in 2021. New England has not drafted a redshirt sophomore in Round 1 during Bill Belichick's tenure.
Jones' physical profile and makeup are enticing, though. He's viewed as one of the most athletic tackles in his draft class, and Pro Football Focus's 2023 draft guide raves about his aggressiveness, saying he "plays how an offensive line coach would dream" and "wants to punish opponents."
Trent Brown and free agent signee Riley Reiff project as the Patriots' starting tackles this season, but both are set to hit free agency next March and have battled injuries. Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott and 2022 seventh-round draft pick Andrew Stueber are the only New England tackles currently under contract beyond 2023. So, fortifying this group for the future should be a priority for the Patriots, even if they are comfortable with Brown and Reiff as their starters for now.
Johnson, Northwestern's Peter Skoronski and Tennessee's Darnell Wright also are viewed as likely first-round prospects, with players like Oklahoma's Anton Harrison, Ohio State's Dawand Jones and North Dakota State's Cody Mauch all expected to be picked by the end of Round 2.
