Patriots draft intel: Another top tackle prospect in play?

With every day that passes it seems progressively more likely that the Patriots will select a tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft. It was reported on Tuesday, that LSU tackle Will Campbell was the 'heavy favorite' to be selected at No. 4 if the Patriots inevitably end up 'sticking-and-picking.'

However, the latest reporting suggests that the tackle the Pats may actually target is Missouri's Armand Membou.

"We've been told to expect a 'best player available' approach from the Patriots at No. 4, as scouts have been saying that New England would be happy with either Hunter or Carter, should they be available," wrote ESPN's Matt Miller. "But what if they aren't? Keep an eye on offensive tackle Armand Membou (Missouri). The Patriots have done a lot of work on him, so Membou could be in play early."

Membou has NFL size at 6-foot-4, 332 pounds, and he has the talent to be a top-end tackle in the NFL. However, the possible knock on Membou - from the Patriots' perspective - is he played right tackle at Missouri. Therefore, he may not immediately help their hole on the left side, if at all.

^{Missouri right tackle Armand Membou}

Unfortunately for the Pats, the options in the draft at left tackle are slim and imperfect. Campbell's short arm length is a concern. So, despite Membou playing right tackle, he may be a safer selection than Campbell. Pats offensive line coach Doug Marrone also sounds confident in his ability to convert Membou to a left tackle, should the need arise.

If the Patriots were to draft Membou over Campbell, it would be interesting to see how they use him. He's a right tackle - or at least he was in college - so moving him to left doesn't seem ideal. Yet, they may have to, otherwise they will have to ship Morgan Moses (their presumed starting right tackle), or second-year pro Caedan Wallace, to the left side. Regardless, neither option seems like a perfect fit.

Nonetheless, it seems very likely the Patriots will end up selecting a tackle on April 24. Obviously, things can change and they could make an unexpected move/selection. But, where it stands two weeks away from draft day, most signs point to a tackle being the pick.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.