PFF Gives Bleak Outlook for Patriots' Offensive Line in 2024

The New England Patriots may need to iron out some issues up front.

Dec 7, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots guard Mike Onwenu (71) blocks against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest question marks revolving around this New England Patriots team in 2024 centers around the quality of their offensive line, and how the unit will fare in the midst of an adjustment period.

It's far from an established group. Left tackle Trent Brown is out of the fold, guard Cole Strange will be out due to injury to start the year, and third-round rookie tackle Caedan Wallace could be set to have a significant role in this offense from the jump. The uncertainty for what's to come makes for an unpredictable scene to start the season with, and could inevitably make or break their 2024 year.

When it comes to projecting how the Patriots will rank on the front lines against the rest of the league, it doesn't look too hot in the eyes of Pro Football Focus.

Stacked up against the NFL, New England stands just 28th in their offensive line prestige, with the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints being the only teams to place ahead of them.

PFF's Zoltan Buday offered his rationale for the projection, emphasizing the lack of experience being the cause of concern for the Patriots in the trenches:

"The Patriots would rank even lower had not re-signed Mike Onwenu, who has been arguably their best offensive lineman, to play right tackle. While former Pittsburgh Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor is projected to start at left tackle, he has just two career snaps there. New England can find itself further up on this list if its young guards — Cole Strange and Sidy Sow — show improvement in 2024."

- Zoltan Buday, PFF

On the bright side of the Patriots' line, there's immense room for growth moving forward. Thanks to the youth this front office has emphasized in recent years, it gives this offense an established core to build with.

Strange and Sidy Sow have proven to be reliable options at guard when healthy, and Mike Onwenu is one of the top candidates in the league at his position. It's also impossible to forget the impact that David Andrews provided as the long-time center of this roster for almost the past decade.

Ultimately, the protection New England can manage to provide in 2024 will be a massive component of how much Drake Maye can contribute in his rookie year.

If the Patriots can have a serviceable unit to protect their young quarterback, there's a world we see the third-overall pick start under center earlier than expected. Without any security or time to throw though, it may be hard to throw the future of the franchise into a situation that practically sets him up for failure.

Simply put, this upcoming Patriots campaign starts and finishes with how this offensive line produces. Even while expectations may be low, the youth and upside are there to surprise some people.

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