FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 13: A view of New England Patriots helmets before the game between the Patriots and the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Patriots Have ‘Done a Lot of Homework On’ Potential Trent Brown Replacement.
Replacing Trent Brown is a priority for the New England Patriots entering the 2024 NFL draft, perhaps why the team has “done a lot of homework on BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.”
That’s according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who believes Suamataia is someone to “keep an eye on” when the Patriots make the 34th-overall pick, the second selection of the second round. Reid thinks the case for Suamataia will be stronger “if the Pats do go QB in the first round.”
Going with a quarterback in the opening round is likely for the team owning the No. 3 pick this year. The choice puts the QB-needy Pats in range of some of the top passers in this class, including Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy.
Any one of those three would fill the void at football’s most important position for the Patriots. Yet, no member of the trio will succeed without a stable line in front of them, something the Pats still lack after Brown signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.
Brown was far from elite at left tackle during his final season in New England, but he was still an experienced and physical presence. A prospect as versatile and powerful as Suamataia would be a worthy replacement.
Kingsley Suamataia Has Trent Brown-Like Traits
Suamataia shares a couple of useful traits with Brown, including comparative size. The younger tackle stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 326 pounds, compared to 6-foot-8, 370-pound Brown.
There’s a closer similarity when it comes to positional flexibility. Brown could play both sides of the line, and Suamataia “started 12 games at RT” in 2022, before playing “11 games at LT” a year later, per NFL.com’s Chad Reuter.
The Patriots would need Suamataia to lock down the left, since the right is secure thanks to the return of Mike Onwenu. Suamataia would fit as a blindside protector for a rookie passer after allowing just 13 pressures and 2 sacks from “364 pass-blocking snaps” last season, per PFF BAL Ravens.
