Patriots 2021 Position Preview: Offensive line should once again be a major strength

The 2020 Patriots had few notable strengths on the roster, but the offensive line was one of them. And it should be again in 2021, despite a different-looking group coming to Foxborough.

Gone are former mainstays Joe Thuney and Marcus Cannon. But replacing them, respectively, are a precocious sophomore and a returning Super Bowl champion. The rest remain the same as 2020, and they're all proven, reliable pieces for arguably the Patriots' deepest, most well-coached unit.

But there are major changes for the Patriots offensive line to adjust to for 2021, so it's fair to wonder what the group will look like and how it will perform compared to the past few seasons. With that in mind, here's a preview of the Patriots offensive line ahead of 2021 training camp.

Left Tackle: Isaiah Wynn
Left Guard: Michael Onwenu
Center: David Andrews
Right Guard: Shaq Mason
Right Tackle: Trent Brown

Swing Tackle: Justin Herron
Backup Center: Ted Karras
Backup Guard/Center: James Ferentz

The Patriots boast plenty of legit talent on the offensive line, but they also have remarkable versatility. They lost some of that with the departure of Thuney, but they already know that Onwenu and Wynn can play both tackle and guard. Brown can play either left or right tackle. Karras and Ferentz can back up any interior O-line position.

With improved weapons and, hopefully, better quarterback play, the offensive line will go from being the strength of the team that everyone talks about to the strength of the team that operates in the background. The fact that this group got so much attention from 2018-20 was, in part, an illustration of how much the rest of the offense had deteriorated.

But the offensive roster is almost entirely revamped, and ready to make a jump back up after struggling in recent seasons. It's good to know that if the quarterback and the weapons gel, they should have a steadily excellent offensive line setting the tone.

Patriots 2021 Positional Previews: Quarterback | Tight End

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.