The New England Patriots beefed up their interior offensive line depth Saturday with a pair of fourth-round draft picks.
Ten spots after selecting Troy center Jake Andrews early in Round 4, the Patriots used the 117th overall selection on Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow.
Sow, a Quebec native, was a four-year starter in college, with the vast majority of his snaps coming at left guard. He started 44 games there, plus another 11 at left tackle.
Well-built at 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, Sow was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2021 and 2022, and he never missed a game in his college career. He also was penalized just once last season (for a false start), per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
In addition to his experience, Sow also boasts some impressive athletic traits. The 24-year-old tested in the 90th percentile or better among guards in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine, per Mockdraftable, and his three-cone drill and short shuttle both were in the 65th percentile or higher.
The Patriots should have their interior starting trio set with center David Andrews, left guard Cole Strange and right guard Mike Onwenu, but their top backup for all three spots last season was 33-year-old James Ferentz. Onwenu also is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Given his size, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Patriots also try Sow out at tackle. That was one of their biggest needs entering the draft, and they did not select one with any of their first six picks.
