New England Patriots offensive lineman Michael Onwenu played three different positions across his first four seasons in the NFL. After signing his second contract with the Patriots on March 14 – a three-year deal worth $57 million – it appears Onwenu will finally settle into one singular position.
The Patriots plan to make Onwenu their starting right tackle moving forward, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Drafted by New England in the sixth round in 2020, Onwenu started 56 of the 64 games he’s played over his first four NFL seasons. He has almost split time evenly at guard and tackle, playing just under 300 more snaps at a guard position than he did at tackle.
Onwenu started the last 11 games of the 2023 season at right tackle, playing every offensive snap during that stretch. He’s played both guard positions throughout his career as well.
Not only has Onwenu shown off his versatility with the Patriots, but he’s also been relatively healthy and productive. He’s missed only three games in four seasons and has graded well according to Pro Football Focus. PFF named him a second-team All-Pro in 2022.
Pats bringing back familiar faces
Onwenu’s journey from a sixth-round pick to one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL is remarkable, especially considering his almost constant positional changes. The Patriots develop linemen well and Onwenu is the perfect example of getting that little extra out of a player who already shows tremendous talent.
A new era in New England is underway but the Pats are retaining a lot of their free agents from a four-win 2023 team. Perhaps their biggest move of the offseason is yet to come to fruition as the Patriots are expected to select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick.
Michael Onwenu and the rest of the Pats’ offensive line don’t know who they’ll be protecting yet, but there’s at least a foundation building along New England’s offensive front.
More must-reads: