Patriots offensive line coach explains what’s holding key rookie back from playing left tackle
Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters explained why rookie Caedan Wallace hasn’t been able to crack the starting lineup at left tackle.
The Patriots drafted a tackle in the third round. They need a clear answer for their starting left tackle spot. Why isn’t the rookie their starting left tackle?
It’s not that simple.
Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters spoke about the progress that rookie tackle Caedan Wallace has made so far in training camp in a press appearance before practice on Thursday in Foxboro, offering insight as to why Wallace has struggled to practice as more than a projected backup. Wallace has mostly repped with the No. 2 offensive unit in camp, playing both left and right tackle, after exclusively playing right tackle at Penn State.
Peters indicated that the main thing holding Wallace back right now is that he’s working through a steep learning curve, as a rookie making the jump from college to the pros. Playing each side of the line, including his first experience at left tackle, only adds to that challenge.
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“He’s done well. I think that you’re a rookie coming in and you’ve got to play both sides, and so there’s things that he’s had struggles with early and there’s other things he’s really done well with,” Peters said of Wallace. “So, it’s a process. Same answer with [rookie guard] Layden [Robinson]. I just think they’re young guys, first year in, and there’s a ton of exposure to fronts, to looks, to assignments, to techniques, and different types of schemes they’re going to play against.
“So, matching those up, it’s a matter of being able to build that library in your mind, so he can build upon his technique and improve as a player.”
In an ideal world, Wallace would be a plug-and-play starting tackle, as the 68th overall pick in the 2024 draft at a top position of need. The team has instead brought Wallace along slowly, which has been a consistent approach with most of the rookie class. Based on practice reps, the only Patriots rookie with a realistic shot at starting in Week 1 is wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk.
Wallace, meanwhile, looked to be making an early push to start at left tackle, repping with the projected starters at that spot for three straight practices from July 28-30. The Patriots took a day off on July 31, and have mostly deployed Wallace with the 2’s ever since.
Despite a recent injury to projected starting left tackle Vederian Lowe, Wallace still repped as mostly a backup tackle at practice. In Lowe’s absence, the Patriots shifted Chukwuma Okorafor to left tackle, and kicked Mike Onwenu out to right tackle, while elevating rookie Layden Robinson to right guard. Both Wallace and Robinson have received reps with the starting O-line at right tackle and left guard, respectively, in recent 2-minute drills at practice.
Speaking last Saturday, Wallace echoed Peters’ sentiments on the increased difficulty of an NFL training camp over spring practices in college.
“This is just different,” Wallace said. “It’s a different caliber of athlete I’m going against every day. It’s a lot more on the mental, getting new installs, just having to memorize a bunch of different things. Just different.”
Wallace also said he’s working on certain aspects of his technique, primarily his hands and “getting good strikes off.” Peters employs a strike system that players use to communicate with each other in pass protection, which has been consistently praised by Patriots linemen. Wallace has spent a lot of time practicing both the physical and mental aspects of Peters’ system in his first camp as a pro.
“It’s something I’m working on all the time, just being in the right position with my hands to stop any rush that comes my way,” Wallace said.
The recent sprinkling of Wallace into starting reps at practice indicates that the rookie is making progress toward a bigger role. As a top-70 pick, he frankly should start at some point in his first 1-2 seasons, whether it’s at left tackle or right tackle. It’s just going to take time. Moving from the right side to the left side, in particular, is not as easy as it may seem.
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For Wallace, it’s just about taking his assignments and getting to work. If he can simply focus on himself and steadily improve, his potential future role as a starting tackle will take care of itself.
“I just control the things I can control,” Wallace said. “I prepare as much as possible, then read the depth chart that they have for the day and get after it.”
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
