New England Patriots: 5 Sleepers to target in 2018 NFL Draft
3. Brandon Parker, OT, North Carolina A&T
After losing Solder to the New York Giants in free agency, the New England Patriots have an obvious hole at the left tackle position. LaAdrian Waddle was re-signed to help fill the need, but he is far from an ideal choice to protect Brady’s blindside next season.
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In the 2017 draft, the Patriots took left tackle prospect Antonio Garcia in the third round (85th overall). Garcia was an interesting offensive tackle prospect who showed fantastic pass protection upside, but he missed his entire rookie season with an illness. We found out after the season that Garcia was dealing with blood clots in his lungs and had lost over 40 pounds.
Garcia is expected to make a full recovery, but he was already a small offensive tackle. It is impossible to say what the Patriots will get out of him in the near future. Simply put, their left tackle situation is extremely shaky and should be addressed in the 2018 NFL Draft. North Carolina A&T’s Brandon Parker is a specific offensive tackle sleeper who I’d like to see the Patriots target.
Parker stands 6-7 and weighs 314 pounds. He has extremely long arms that he uses well in pass protection and as a run blocker. The left tackle prospect also shows quick feet, great athleticism and an impressive ability to mirror opposing pass rushers.
Parker is a bit raw and does struggle against power, but his pass protection upside at the next level is legit. Ideally, the Pats could take Parker and develop him as the long-term left tackle. However, they may not have that luxury. It might be a bit of adventure immediately lining Parker up as the starting left tackle, but he has the skills to make an immediate impact.