Bleacher Report Predicts Patriots' Biggest Bust for 2024 NFL Season

Who may be falling short of expectations for the New England Patriots in 2024?

May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches practice at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest storylines circling the New England Patriots next season leans upon the outlook of their rebuilding offensive line.

New England has undergone some extensive turnover on the offensive line across their most recent offseasons, their latest adjustment being to let starting tackle Trent Brown walk this summer, who departed to join the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now, the Patriots are tasked with finding a fresh answer as to who will be the blindside protector of this offense, with many having their reservations about how this position group could look in Foxboro for next season.

Bleacher Report's David Kenyon doesn't foresee things going too well on the left side of the line for New England, as he projects to see offseason addition Chukwuma Okorafor having some struggles to provide some consistent protection during his first year with the Patriots:

"No matter whether Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye is leading the offense, New England has a question mark on the QB's blind side. Chukwuma Okorafor hasn't played left tackle since his final year of college, and making that transition—especially on what's likely a mediocre Patriots team—could be an immense challenge."

- David Kenyon, Bleacher Report

Okorafor spent his past six NFL seasons stationed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but now has a new task on his hands to potentially be this year's starting left tackle for New England. However, given that his experience has primarily been on the opposing side of the offensive line, there could be some growing pains in store for the veteran.

The Patriots will struggle similarly with their other potential left tackle option in rookie Caedan Wallace, who spent most of his time at Penn State playing on the right side. New England has some talent on the offensive line, but finding a five-man unit that can play consistently well together could be tough to see come to fruition.

For an offense that will be attempting to gradually implement third-overall pick Drake Maye into the fold, this unit up front needs to have the ability to provide ample protection for their young QB. The UNC signal caller dealt with his fair share of shaky offensive line play during his time in Chapel Hill, but the Patriots can't suffer the same fate if they want the best development possible for their franchise guy.

Whether Okorafor or Wallace ends up as the starter, or even another candidate that currently sits outside of the box, it won't be a simple endeavor for New England to get that component of the team secure. The Patriots made some significant strides on offense by investing immense energy on that side of the ball, but work still needs to be done.

Fans will have better expectations on how this offensive line will look as we traverse through the motions of Patriots training camp, officially kicking off in just over a week on July 24th.

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