The Patriots have a plan to maximize third-round pick Caedan Wallace
With their third-round pick, 68th overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft the New England Patriots took tackle Caedan Wallace out of Penn State. In some ways the pick was a ‘reach’ with most projections having Wallace not going until the fourth round at the earliest. At the same time, a run on tackles left him as the surprise best player on the board at the position at that point.
Part of the reason Wallace’s projected value was lower than his actual draft spot was because of his position. The 40 games he started for the Nittany Lions over the past four years were all at right tackle. For most of that span, Penn State had 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu on the left side, so there wasn’t much opportunity for Wallace to move.
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In New England, that could change. The Patriots’ plan for Wallace seems to include a move across the line, which could end up making him more valuable to the team.
“He was a guy that we felt was athletic enough to possibly make the switch over on the left side,” de facto general manager Eliot Wolf told reporters in his press conference following the pick. “Really good pass protector, really took a huge step forward this year as a four-year starter. Athletic, can bend, strong, powerful, tough. He could possibly play guard. We think he could be a four-position guy, but definitely feel like he can play on the left side.”
Not only is left tackle generally a more valuable position across the NFL, it’s a much bigger need for the Patriots. At right tackle they just re-signed Mike Onwenu, and added six-year vet Chuks Okorafor in free agency. Prior to the draft, Wolf had said the plan at left tackle was to play Okorafor there, despite the fact he’s played just two total snaps on the left side in his six NFL seasons.
WATCH: Joe Murray & Alex Barth react to Caedan Wallace pick
Whether we’re talking about Wallace, Okorafor, or any other tackle who has spent time exclusively on one side of the line of scrimmage, moving from one side to the other is a big challenge. At guard, the first step is split pretty evenly between inside and outside. At tackle though players almost always step to the outside (especially in pass pro).
Flipping sides means reversing the whole operation, and can be like trying to write with your off-hand. It’s not an impossible skill to learn (there are some very good true swing tackles in the NFL) but getting there is a process.
“We feel like Caedan has the athleticism to play over on the left side,” Wolf said on Friday night. “Really, his teammate, Olu Fashanu, that the Jets drafted was the reason that he played on the right. So athletically, there’s no reason why he couldn’t make the switch over there. He’s a really smart, dedicated kid that we feel like can handle that.”
For his part, Wallace is ready for the challenge. “Super confident,” he replied when asked about his confidence in playing on the left side. “I play every position on the line. I am just excited to get there and learn from some great coaches and get after it.”
If Wallace can master the switch from right to left, he should have a chance to compete for a starting job in camp. After him and Okorafor the Patriots’ tackle room is made up of players who are either primarily right tackles or just are very inexperienced overall. That group includes Conor McDermott, Tyrone Wheatly Jr., Vederian Lowe, and Calvin Anderson.
This is the second year in a row the Patriots have drafted an offensive lineman who primarily played another spot on the offensive line with the intention of moving him to tackle. Last year the team initially tried playing 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow – a left guard for most of his college career – at left tackle before moving him back inside after he struggled on the perimeter.
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