New England Patriots: 3 suggestions for the offensive line

Early in 2014, the New England Patriots seemed to really struggle to find an offensive line that could protect Tom Brady.

After a lot of shifting around over the first few weeks of the season, the Patriots finally seemed to find their best combination. The quintet of Nate Solder, Dan Connolly, Bryan Stork, Ryan Wendell and Sebastian Vollmer helped them get through their rough mid-season schedule and the wound up finishing the season strong. While the line did improve, Brady also worked on getting the ball out quicker as well.

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Of the group, Connolly remains a free agent and according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport (via Twitter) he will be visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.

With this potential hole on the line, the Patriots will likely be looking to draft a linemen, maybe even with their first-round pick. Currently, there are three guards who could be the first possible guard of the board, and all of them seem to be either late first-round picks or early second rounders. With the 32nd pick, the Patriots could have their picking of which guard they would want. The three top ranked guards are, A.J. Cann, Laken Tomlinson and Tre’ Jackson. All three of these players have talent and could jump into the starting left guard position.

Jackson is from Florida State and was a teammate of Patriots center Bryan Stork for three years. Jackson missed his junior year due to an ACL tear, but was a starter for the Seminoles in his other three seasons. Jackson disappointed at the combine, as his 40-yard dash time was one of the slowest and his measurements were not ideal. He has also struggled with some weight issues. Still, Jackson played a very solid senior year at Florida State, as he only gave up 1.5 sacks and was not called for a single holding penalty, and is therefore a very viable option for the Patriots.

Duke’s Tomlinson enjoyed a lot of success his senior year. He was voted 1st team All-ACC and First Team AP All-American. He was terrific during his time as a Blue Devil, as he was a four-year starter and has not allowed a sack in two years. He is an extremely powerful guard who simply overpowered defenders in college and is also extremely intelligent. There are some concerns about his lack of athleticism and how his play will transfer to the NFL where he will face more athletic pass rushers than in college.

Cann is a very talented lineman from the university of South Carolina. He was voted 1st team All-SEC and Second Team AP All-American. He is a very talented guard who produced throughout his entire college career. He is very intelligent and powerful and could jump in and start right away. He is said to have some technique issues and is also a bit lighter than a lot of other guards. Still, Cann is a very viable option for the Patriots and could fill the void left by Connolly on the line.

If the Patriots choose to go in the direction of choosing a guard in the first round, it figures to be one of these three players. All of them can start right away and have potential of becoming very good starting material. Which one they will pick will depend on who is still available and who they believe with fit their scheme the most. New England’s offensive line needs help and if they don’t address it with their first pick they will later in the draft.

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