New England Patriots 2015 Offensive Line Breakdown

January 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Tre’ Jackson (54) against the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

LG: Tre’ Jackson

Dan Connolly was the Patriots’ starter at left guard for a majority of last season. At this point, it does not appear that he will be back to the team, so perhaps even more than at right guard, left guard is a position that is up for grabs.

My pick to land the starting job is rookie Tre’ Jackson. The Patriots selected the 6-foot-4, 330 pound Florida State product in the fourth round of the draft, and he appears to be a staff favorite.

The Patriots had a massive presence at Florida State throughout the past season, with Scarnecchia (now-retired long-time NE offensive line coach) spending time as a representative of the Patriots down there. He obviously had his eye on somebody, and the Patriots then drafting Jackson is not a coincidence. I have full confidence in Scarnecchia’s opinion on offensive lineman, which is a major reason why I have confidence in Jackson being a success with the Patriots.

Jackson is a much more mauling type of player than we are accustomed to seeing at the guard position for the Patriots. His quickness is limited, but he is not a slow player. He is an extremely strong player with obvious run blocking skills, and above average pass protection abilities. Lining up next to his former college teammate in Stork also could be a huge benefit for Jackson in the early going.

The same players who are in the competition at right guard, will also be in the mix here. Similarly to the other side, I see Kline and Hauptmann being Jackson’s biggest competitors, with Fleming an interesting dark-horse.

Next: Depth Chart Breakdown