How Penn State’s Caedan Wallace fits with the New England Patriots

The Patriots seem to have had a higher outlook on Caedan Wallace than most. Here’s how he will fit in.

Day two of the NFL draft is often where teams find undervalued players who end up being long-term starters for their franchise. Sometimes it’s a “lack of upside” or lack of elite traits, but players with those descriptions are typically more developed as well. The New England Patriots were looking for a player in that mold at pick 68, and they found one in Penn State’s [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag].

Wallace wasn’t projected to be selected until day three of the draft, so seeing him picked early in the third round was a surprise. Even so, the Patriots clearly valued his experience and versatility along the offensive line. Wallace spent the vast majority of his time with the Nittany Lions as a right tackle, but he has the skills needed to move inside to guard.

The Patriots offensive line was a complete mess last season, and they lost their starting right tackle Trent Brown in free agency. They did add a few names to the room, but none who are long-term solutions. That combined with how highly Wallace was drafted implies that he may have a shot at earning a starting job somewhere along the line.

Wallace will be tasked with helping make third-overall pick Drake Maye successful as the Patriots move into a new era. That is a lot of pressure, but he has the talent to make good on this pick. He is a smooth mover in pass protection with the length needed to stay at right tackle, but he is strong enough and a good enough run blocker to kick inside.

Ultimately, I think he will start the season as a reserve lineman behind the veterans they still have on the roster. He could push to start at guard if they view him as an interior guy, but I think they will want to give him a chance to stick at tackle with how high he was picked. Either way, Penn State fans should expect to see Wallace on the field sooner rather than later.