Patriots select Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace with 68th pick in 2024 draft
With the 68th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace.
Wallace became the Pats’ third pick of the 2024 class, joining first-round quarterback Drake Maye (No. 3) and second-round wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk (No. 37). The Patriots traded down from the 34th pick to 37 before selecting Polk, in a deal that saw them also swap pick 137 for 110, turning their fifth-rounder into a fourth.
Wallace stands at 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds, with 34-inch arms. Some NFL teams may view him as a guard with that frame, but he does have NFL tackle-caliber arm length, and played right tackle at Penn State. Wallace allowed just one sack in 359 pass-blocking snaps as a senior in 2023.
![Penn State offensive lineman Caedan Wallace (73) prepares for a play during a White Out football game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes, 31-0. (Dan Rainville/USA Today Network)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/01/USATSI_21493439-1.jpg)
Penn State offensive lineman Caedan Wallace (73) prepares for a play during a White Out football game against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. The Nittany Lions shut out the Hawkeyes, 31-0. (Dan Rainville/USA Today Network)
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein says of Wallace: “Wallace won’t flash as often as a run blocker and he might be somewhat capped out in terms of what he’s going to be as a tackle. Wallace has NFL size and good body control and should find work as a backup with the potential to start as a guard or tackle.”
Considering the Patriots’ situation and needs, Wallace figures to compete with free-agent addition Chukwuma Okorafor to start at left tackle. Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf told reporters Friday night that the Patriots believe Wallace is athletic enough to make the switch from right tackle to left.
Unless the Patriots trade up into the bottom of the third round, their work is done for day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. They’ve addressed all three of their biggest needs on offense. That should allow them the freedom to draft for the best players available, regardless of position.
MORE: What the draft experts are saying about new Patriots WR Ja’Lynn Polk
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