Patriots' Biggest Burning Question Post-Draft Revealed by ESPN

Despite the New England Patriots coming out of last week's NFL Draft with a relatively successful outcome, the roster is far from perfect heading into the 2024-24 season.

The Patriots were able to emphasize glaring needs around the team, such as adding to their quarterback position with Drake Maye, as well as bringing in a few new weapons like Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and Jaheim Bell down the board. However, this unit sticks a couple of steps away from becoming a serious threat in the AFC. 

Among those remaining questions that need to be answered on New England's roster, the biggest may be up front on their offensive line.

ESPN detailed the Patriots' most pressing question asking if the Patriots did enough to address their need at left tackle, even with their third round selection of Penn State T Caedan Wallace:

"Veteran free agent signee Chukwuma Okorafor is the projected starter at left tackle, even though his primary experience in the NFL has come at right tackle (and he was benched midway through last season). Meanwhile, the Patriots selected Penn State right tackle Caedan Wallace in the third round (No. 68) and are projecting that he, too, will be able to switch sides despite not doing it in college. Calvin Anderson, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., Vederian Lowe, Conor McDermott and Andrew Stueber round out the options, which means the Patriots have volume, but quality remains in question."

With a rookie signal caller like Maye in the mix to start, it will be crucial for the Patriots to iron out the left side of their line. If Wallace has the athleticism and ability to move from the right, this concern could be a non-issue.

 Still, it's hard to project how well he'll transition at the pro level without a ton of experience. And without having a ton of depth to support him, the situation could get shaky if the switch doesn't go as smoothly as expected for Wallace.

Luckily, there will still be players on the line like offseason tackle re-signee Michael Onwenu and longtime veteran center David Andrews to help bring whoever starts under center some needed protection. Without a stable answer at left tackle, though, it's hard to put an abundance of confidence within this offensive line for next season's campaign.

Needless to say, watching how well this Patriots line can mesh together and develop throughout next season will be a key storyline to watch and a significant factor in how high New England's ceiling will be for 2024.