Four Available Offensive Tackles Patriots Can Call After Awful Start
Offensive tackle has been an even bigger issue than expected
There’s no magic pixie dust for vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and the New England Patriots as the calendar is about to turn to October. But that doesn’t mean the Patriots shouldn’t do anything about their most glaring issue after four games.
Somehow, the left tackle position has been an even bigger disappointment than expected — and expectations were quite low. Chukwuma Okorafor, who Wolf expected would transition from right tackle to left, lasted 12 snaps before he walked away from the team. Rookie Caedan Wallace, who Wolf projected would be able to switch from right tackle at Penn State to left tackle in New England, has struggled with production and is dealing with an ankle injury.
The Pats started four left tackles in their first four games with Vederian Lowe also injured and without any recovery timeline. New England is third-worst in pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, and has allowed more pressures than any team in the league.
Successful teams don’t often go to the open market in October to address key positions. But given how the Patriots have looked through four games, and the mounting injuries, New England absolutely should.
“Eliot and I have those conversations all the time,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Monday when asked about the offensive tackle market. “We actually — we’re going to meet today. We are always trying to find ways to improve our roster, and so that’s always under consideration.”
At this point, it needs to be more than a consideration. It needs to be a roster move. Here are four offensive tackles still available on the open market:
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Donovan Smith, OT
The 31-year-old has been in decline and struggled in Kansas City in 2023. That’s why he’s available. But Smith, who made 136 starts at left tackle over nine seasons, recorded a pass-blocking grade of 60.3 in 2023, per Pro Football Focus. Only Patriots guard Michael Jordan (71.5), right tackle Mike Onwenu (66.1) and Lowe (64.7) have better pass-blocking grades for New England.
D.J. Humphries, OT
The 30-year-old started 15 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and played 93% of offensive snaps. He was released in March. Humphries is another player with injury risks, but given the Patriots are depleted by injuries already, that shouldn’t be weighed too heavily. He allowed four sacks in those 15 games and his 2023 pass-blocking grade (68.4), while a noticeable decline from the previous year, would rank second on New England this season.
David Bakhtiari, OT
Chances are football fans are familiar with Bakhtiari’s injury history. The 33-year-old has played 13 games over the last three seasons combined, including a one-game season in both 2021 and 2023. Bakhtiari had a major knee procedure in November but told ESPN’s Adam Schefter this offseason he hoped to play a few more years in the league. Would someone like Bakhtiari want to return to a team like the Patriots? That’s a fair question. Unlike some others on this list, he might be more picky.
Charles Leno Jr., OT
Leno is about to enter his age-33 campaign and there’s been regression. But we’re still talking about a capable left tackle, who played nearly 900 snaps at the position last season. Leno’s 2023 pass-blocking grade (77.8) is better than any Patriots offensive linemen this season.
