The New England Patriots focused heavily on building the offensive line in the 2024 NFL draft. They used a third-round pick to select Caedan Wallace out of Penn State and a fourth-rounder on Texas A&M’s Layden Robinson.
New England’s offensive line gave up 48 sacks last season, and it was difficult for the quarterbacks to get anything going. So the team made it a priority to get offensive line help.
Wallace has worked with the first-team unit in recent training camp practices. He started at right tackle and was recently moved to the left side, where he has remained for multiple practices.
Robinson is also progressing at a high level. On Monday, he was able to block Deatrich Wise and Armon Watts with force, as noted by MassLive’s Chris Mason.
Patriots might have something in rookie G Layden Robinson. Stood out in 1-on-1 pass rush drills. Stunned Deatrich Wise with a well-timed punch and tossed Armon Watts for another win.
Mike Onwenu was the best OL of the period. Won all 3 of his reps decisively.
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) July 29, 2024
This is only the early part of training camp, and there’s still a lot of work to do. However, it’s hard not to be encouraged by the early positive signs from Wallace and Robinson.
Wallace was a Big Ten honorable mention in 2023, and Robinson was named to the 2023 All-SEC second-team. The two offensive linemen came to New England with pedigree and talent.
Their development is important for the future of a Patriots offense looking to get back on track.
Quarterback play will be heavily reliant on the offensive front, especially with a rookie potentially in line to see action at some point during the season.
The Patriots prided themselves on stellar offensive line play under Bill Belichick. Continuity and consistency were two vital reasons for that success.
They’ve gotten away from that in recent years, and there’s hope they can get back to it under the new regime. The future certainly looks bright with Wallace and Robinson on the roster.