Tag: Caedan Wallace

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.

USA TODAY grades Day 2 NFL draft picks of Penn State players

USA TODAY Sports grades the draft selections of Day 2 picks from Penn State.

After watching two players get drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Day 1 of the draft, Penn State saw two more of its players be drafted by NFL franchises on Day 2. Offensive tackle Caedan Wallace may have gone a little earlier than some expected, and defensive end Adisa Isaac looks like a bit of a bargain as a late third-round draft pick. But how are those picks being graded?

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY Sports graded every pick from Day 12 of the NFL draft and was seemingly not too impressed with the decisions by two teams to draft Penn State players.

The New England Patriots selected offensive tackle Caedan Wallace with an early third-round draft pick on Day 2, but Middlehurst-Scwartz was not convinced Wallace would be the type of player that could be reliable in protecting the Patriots’ first-round quarterback, Drake Maye of North Carolina. He gave the Patriots a “C” grade for their pick of Wallace.

“[Patriots general manager] Eliot Wolf’s mission to reconfigure New England’s offense continues, as he turns his attention to the Patriots’ front,” Middlehurst-Scwartz said in his breakdown. “Wallace can handle some kind of role along the line, but serving as Drake Maye’s blindside protector seems like a stretch.”

He was a bit more optimistic about the Baltimore Ravens making the decision to draft Adisa Isaac late in the third round. Middlehurst-Schwartz gave the Ravens a “B+” with their selection of the Penn State edge rusher.

“It’s difficult to find pass rushers with premium traits beyond the first two rounds, but the 6-4, 247-pound Isaac boasts the frame and burst to ascend to a starting role,” Middlehurst-Schwartz said. “Though he needs more of a plan in his rushes, he could be an important part of the Ravens’ reloading effort on defense.”

You can see all of USA TODAY’s draft grades for every pick of the second and third rounds to see how your favorite NFL team did. You can also see all of the first-round draft grades, which were solid for the Jets drafting Olu Fashanu and the Dolphins selecting Chop Robinson.

Catch all of the latest updates from the NFL draft with USA TODAY’s live draft tracker. For a look at each Penn State draft prospect, be sure to check out our Penn State NFL draft tracker.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Instant analysis of Patriots selecting OT Caedan Wallace with No. 68 pick

Instant analysis of the Patriots drafting OT Caedan Wallace with a third-round pick

Everyone was left wondering when the New England Patriots were going to address offensive tackle after they used the No. 37 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft on wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk.

But it was soon after with pick No. 68 in the third round that the team decided to take Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace.

Ultimately, it’s another solid draft pick by de facto general manager Eliot Wolf. Wallace won’t generate much buzz on paper since he mostly flew under the radar at Penn State playing across from first-round pick Olu Fashanu.

Yet, the reality is he’s a four-year starter at right tackle, who the Patriots view as athletic enough to swing to the left side. When speaking with media members after getting drafted, Wallace said he has played at every position on the offensive line.

If anything, it speaks to the rare athleticism and talent he possesses as a player.

Wallace didn’t always draw the hardest matchups on the right side, but that’s more about how good Fashanu was at the position. There’s no arguing the fact that Wallace was one of the more consistent and reliable right tackles in the country.

The Patriots are essentially rebuilding their offensive tackle depth, and Wallace is a worthy addition to the room. Chuks Okorafor is expected to be in line to take top reps at left tackle, but it’s important to keep in mind that he’d also be moving over from right tackle. So he could potentially get pushed for the starting job by Wallace.

The Patriots are probably not done at offensive tackle, and it could ultimately be an open competition to find the best blindside protector for rookie quarterback Drake Maye in training camp.

Caedan Wallace drafted by Patriots in 3rd round of 2024 NFL draft

Penn State offensive lineman Caedan Wallace is heading to the AFC East as a third-round NFL draft pick.

A night after watching his offensive line teammate go in the first round, Penn State offensive lineman [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] was drafted by the New England Patriots with the fourth pick of the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Wallace was a former four-star recruit of Penn State and became a fixture on the offensive line. Wallace started 40 games for the Nittany Lions, all at right tackle. Wallace boosted his draft stock with a solid showing at the East-West Shrine Game following his college career wrapping up at Penn State at the end of the 2023 season.

Wallace will be looked to provide protection for the Patriots’ first-round draft pick, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots also drafted wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk from Washington with their second-round pick. Clearly, the offense is the focus for the Patriots in the early rounds of this year’s draft.

Wallace joins first-round draft picks Olu Fashanu and Chop Robinson as the third Nittany Lion to be drafted this year. All three players are now on AFC East teams playing for three different teams.

Catch all of the latest updates from the NFL draft with USA TODAY’s live draft tracker. For a look at each Penn State draft prospect, be sure to check out our Penn State NFL draft tracker.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Patriots select OT Caedan Wallace with No. 68 pick in 2024 NFL draft

The Patriots boost their offensive front by selecting Penn State OT Caedan Wallace with the No. 68 pick

The New England Patriots boosted their offensive line depth on Friday night by selecting Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace with the No. 68 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Wallace is a talented offensive lineman who was mostly overshadowed by first-round draft pick Olu Fashanu, but he more than held his own in the trenches. The Patriots clearly needed to boost their offensive front after drafting rookie quarterback Drake Maye on Thursday night.

So in back-to-back rounds, the team hopefully improved two of the biggest areas of need on their roster by drafting wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the second and Wallace in the third.

Granted, more work needs to be done before anyone can make the argument that things would be comfortable for Maye under center. There are still questions at left tackle.

Wallace is projected to play on the right side behind Mike Onwenu, while Chuks Okorafor could end up being the left side option. There’s still plenty of time for the Patriots to add more help up front through the draft.

But that obviously isn’t the arrangement fans were hoping to see on paper.

Where PFF ranks Penn State’s top 2024 NFL draft prospects

How does PFF rank Penn State’s draft prospects just before the 2024 NFL draft?

The 2024 NFL draft is approaching and the final player rankings are rolling out before the first round gets underway. Pro Football Focus unveiled its final big board for the 2024 NFL draft, and a couple of Penn State players

Offensive tackle [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] remains Penn State’s top draft prospect, and PFF has him ranked in the top 20 overall. Fashanu is ranked no. 17 in the PFF player rankings, but he is not the top offensive tackle on the board according to the rankings. Fashanu is the fourth offensive tackle on PFF’s big board.

Notre Dame’s Joe Alt (no. 5 overall), Oregon State’s Taliese Guaga, and Washington’s Troy Fautanu (no. 15) are all ranked ahead of Fashanu at the position. Fashanu was once considered a near-lock to be the top offensive tackle taken in the 2024 NFL draft, but the PFF big board suggests a few players at the same position will have a shot to go ahead of him. But, it is likely PFF still considers Fashanu a first-round talent with a top-20 player ranking. Of course, that all depends on how many teams need an offensive tackle in the first round. Fortunately, offensive tackle is a pretty important position.

Penn State edge rushers [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (no. 38) and [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] (no. 40) are the next highest-ranked Penn State players on the big board according to PFF. Isaac appears to be trending in a positive direction according to PFF following his results and performance this offseason, while Robinson’s stock may have dipped a slight bit. PFF did give Robinson a higher regular season grade in its evaluation than Issac received.

Center [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] received the no. 111 ranking from the PFF big board, making him a potentially draftable asset. Tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] is ranked no. 135. Offensive tackle [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] come sin at no. 142 overall.

[autotag]Kalen King[/autotag], once viewed by draft analysts as a potential first-round pick and arguably the top cornerback in the draft pool, has seen the biggest slide in his overall draft stock. PFF currently ranks King at no. 177 overall, a far cry from his previous draft outlook. [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] makes an appearance at no. 192. Linebacker [autotag]Curtis Jacobs[/autotag] is ranked no. 207, and could be a potential bargain at that ranking for some NFL team. Speedy cornerback [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] is ranked no. 251 on the PFF big board.

See the full PFF big board to see how the draft pros[ects stack up before the 2024 NFL draft.

Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Commanders to use top 30 visit on Penn State OL Caedan Wallace

The Commanders will host a longtime Penn State starting offensive tackle on a top-30 visit.

It’s no secret the Washington Commanders will be looking for help in the offensive trenches in this month’s 2024 NFL draft. The Commanders have nine picks in the draft, including six in the top 100. While Washington is expected to select a quarterback at No. 2 overall, the Commanders could use one of their second-round picks on an offensive tackle.

Washington is using its 30 pre-draft visits on several different positions, including offensive tackle. Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, who is a candidate to be selected in the first round, will visit the Commanders. Washington will host Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegedjie.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace will visit Washington.

Wallace is a 6-foot-5, 314-pound prospect who started 40 career games at right tackle for Penn State and played in 47 games for the Nittany Lions.

While Wallace could play right tackle in the NFL, some believe he could be better inside at guard.

Report: Penn State OT prospect visiting Patriots on top-30 visit

The Patriots are amping up their offensive tackle search with another rookie prospect coming on a top-30 visit

The New England Patriots are among multiple teams set for a top-30 visit with Penn State’s Caedan Wallace, per The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Wallace was a mainstay on the Penn State offensive line, starting three years at the right tackle position. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention and was given the Lion’s Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award. He garnered accolades during preseason as well, being named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List.

Wallace has a 6.23 prospect grade and is projected by NFL.com to be an average starter. He had an athleticism score of 81 during the NFL Scouting Combine, which ranked eighth amongst all offensive tackles.

Offensive tackle is undoubtedly a key position of need for New England, especially with the departure of Trent Brown. Wallace would be able to provide some form of stability on a positional unit that did not have much of it last year.

49ers have top-30 visit with underrated OT prospect

The #49ers had a 30 visit with a really interesting tackle prospect who could be the team’s next late-round gem.

The 49ers have options in this year’s draft. Offensive tackle remains their most glaring need, but it’s not a slam dunk that they go that route with their first pick. It’s also not out of the question they take multiple players at that position to give themselves as many options as possible while building out an offensive line.

Penn State’s Caedan Wallace is a later-round OT candidate who would make a ton of sense for San Francisco, and they’re hosting him on a top-30 visit according to the Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Wallace won’t make his way into any Day 1 mock drafts. He may not even land in a Day 2 mock. As Day 3 prospects go though it’s easy to see how the 49ers could quickly fall in love with Wallace given their situation at right tackle.

In five seasons with the Nittany Lions, Wallace started 40 of the 47 games he played at right tackle. He checks all the size boxes at 6-5, 314 pounds with 34-inch arms. His athleticism won’t blow any coaches away, but Wallace has enough of a well-rounded skill set that the lack of elite athleticism shouldn’t make him an unplayable pro.

While Wallace grades out as a mostly average run blocker per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one sack and 13 pressures in pass protection last season. In 2022 he gave up one sack and 12 pressures. The two sacks and 25 pressures across his final two college seasons were a massive improvement over the five sacks and 35 pressures he gave up just in the 2021 campaign.

That improvement, combined with his experience and size make Wallace the kind of prospect who could definitely compete for a starting right tackle job right away. If he’s unable to do that, there’s plenty to build on if the 49ers want to develop him for either a future starting job, or a spot as a swing tackle in a deeper version of San Francisco’s offensive front.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Best photos of NFL draft offensive line prospect Caedan Wallace from Penn State

Here are some of the best photos of NFL draft hopeful Caedan Wallace during his time with Penn State.

Penn State is set to have up to three offensive linemen drafted by an NFL team in the 2024 NFL draft. Olu Fashanu will be the star of the bunch but [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] looks primed and ready to grab an NFL job and assert himself as a reliable lineman for years to come.

Wallace earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions following the 2023 season and the New Jersey native was recognized by his teammates and coaches as one of the top senior players on the roster last season. Wallace started all 13 games at right tackle for Penn State during the 2023 season, and he allowed just one sack in 359 pass blocking opportunities.

Here is a look at one of Penn State’s draft hopefuls during his college football playing days in Happy Valley.