ESPN: Patriots 'Best Fit' for Free Agent T Donovan Smith

The New England Patriots could benefit from a boost to their offensive line.

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Donovan Smith (79) on / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are bound to have some questions on the offensive line for the 2024 NFL season

Without a solidified answer at left tackle, combined with the recent announcement of Cole Strange's extended injury timeline, this Patriots unit up front to be one of the biggest unknowns of this team for the coming year.

Considering their most recent selection of third-overall pick, Drake Maye, these concerns need to be addressed quickly for the sake of protecting their prized rookie quarterback. As a result, seeing this team bring in a veteran available on the market to help fill a need could make a lot of sense.

ESPN's Matt Bowen recently pounded the table for New England to bring in former Kansas City Chiefs tackle Donovan Smith, naming the Patriots as the best fit in the league to acquire him:

"The Patriots re-signed right tackle Mike Onwenu to a multiyear extension, drafted Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace (who will move to the left side in the pros) in the third round and signed former Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor to a one-year deal. But Smith would provide good competition for the left tackle spot and, at worst, depth. He started for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last season, and he posted a pass block win rate of 90.8% while allowing six sacks over 438 pass-block reps. New England needs reliable blockers for rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and Smith no doubt would help."

Smith is an experienced option at tackle who's coming off a Super Bowl-winning season, starting 12 games for the Chiefs last regular season and all four in the postseason. He was also a starter on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers championship squad, protecting Patriots legend Tom Brady for each of the three seasons he was in town.

If the Patriots are searching for another option to help assist on the offensive line, Smith sticks out as an ideal fit on paper, but we may see this team take a younger approach in starting rookies Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson on the left side to start the year. A strong camp and/or preseason effort from either could allow New England to easily stick with an in-house approach, banking on chemistry and development instead.

With a few months to go until Week One kicks off, it's hard to project what New England's master plan is just yet, but adding a starting Super Bowl tackle isn't a terrible direction to go. Keep an eye on Smith as we get closer to the Patriots' 2024-25 campaign.

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