Patriots Named Landing Spot for Former Saints First-Round Pick

The New England Patriots could swing a trade for this New Orleans Saints former first-round draft pick.

Sep 24, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning (70) during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have holes everywhere heading into the NFL offseason, but one of their most glaring weaknesses is along their offensive line.

Finding help in the trenches should be a massive priority for the Patriots in the coming months, as they need to ensure they protect quarterback Drake Maye.

Fortunately, New England will have plenty of cap room to sign free agents, but it can also explore the trade market for answers.

David Latham of Last Word On Sports has identified a very interesting trade target for the Pats: New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning.

"The Patriots could use three new tackles next year, as Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs are not NFL-caliber starters, and third-round pick Caedan Wallace looked abysmal in limited work," Latham wrote. "Trevor Penning may not be a superstar, but the trade candidate is better than all three of those players. While he’s best as a swing tackle, he could start at either tackle position and help keep Maye upright after a tumultuous rookie season."

Penning, who played his collegiate football at Northern Iowa, was selected by the Saints with the 19th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He became a full-time starter for New Orleans this season, starting all 17 games. However, while he was efficient as a run blocker, he struggled in pass blocking, posting a subpar 51.6 overall grade in that department over at Pro Football Focus.

But Penning really can't be any worse than what he Patriots currently have along their offensive line, and, at the very least, he is a former first-round pick with potential.

New England's offensive line was probably the worst in the NFL in 2024, so it needs to find answers one way or another.

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