New England Patriots Draft Profile: BYU Left Tackle as Trent Brown Replacement?

The New England Patriots face a sizable task in filling the void left by former starting tackle Trent Brown. Could NFL Draft prospect Kingsley Suamataia be the answer?

As the New England Patriots march toward the upcoming NFL Draft, they are faced with filling several voids on a roster hoping to improve from their 4-13 finish last season.  

With the No. 3 overall selection, the Patriots are widely expected to address their glaring need at quarterback. However, there is merit to forging a new foundation with a solid building block at offensive tackle. In fact, their need at the position was greatly enhanced by the loss of former starting left tackle Trent Brown, who signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals last month. 

Fortunately for the Patriots, this year’s draft class is also considered to be rich with talent at the position. Should the Pats entertain the idea of trading to maximize their draft capital, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga top the list of potential Pats targets.

Still, there might be a way to obtain both their future franchise quarterback and a solid starting left tackle prospect without moving any parts around the proverbial draft chess board. 

Enter BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia 

Feb 3, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; National offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia of BYU (55)

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Suamataia is not only one of the most underrated offensive tackle prospects in this year’s class, but he is also undervalued on several draft-pundit big boards. At 6-5, 326 pounds, the BYU product demonstrates outstanding speed and athleticism for an edge blocker of his size. As the Cougars' starting left tackle, Suamataia was reliable in pass protection while also showing toughness and tenacity as a run blocker. Suamataia is particularly adept on quick pulls and screens, which should allow him to quickly assimilate into coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s offense. Though his hand placement and lower body strength are areas in need of development, the Pats could gain first-round talent at No. 34 in the second round (if he remains available) while filling their largest hole along the offensive line. 

Despite the team’s struggles at quarterback, a large portion of the blame for the Patriots’ anemic output in 2023 can be attributed to the porous nature of their offensive line. Ranking in the lower third of the NFL in nearly every measurable metric, it should come as no surprise that New England may be eager to invest prime draft capital to repair a severely fractured unit. 

If selected by the Patriots, Suamataia would likely vault to the top of the depth chart at left tackle — a position which currently features newly-acquired Chukwuma Okorafor, and veterans Conor McDermott, Vederian Lowe and Andrew Stueber.