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The New England Patriots may have some serious questions to answer at offensive tackle in 2022. Could Daniel Faalele be the answer? NBC Sports’ Phil A. Perry was high on Faalele and his fit with the Patriots at the Senior Bowl.
Perry said this on a recent podcast episode of the Next Pats Podcast: “Six-foot-8, 387 pounds. Thirty-five inch arms, 11-inch hands. These guys don’t grow on trees. We’ve heard Bill Belichick say that many, many times before whether he’s talking about a 350-pound defensive tackle or a corner with incredibly long arms. There are certain players who have unique physical skill sets, Daniel Faalele is one of those.”
Few players have played in the NFL with that kind of size. Former standout lineman like Jonathan Ogden and Bryant McKinnie are a couple who immediately come to mind. However, there is a chance Faalele could turn into an even more mobile version of those two behemoths.
“He moves well as well,” Perry continued. “Is he the most athletic tackle in the class? Of course not. But with some coaching, if they get their hands on this player and he brings things to the table that other players simply can’t, because he was born with it and they weren’t, that could be a guy who ends up in New England.”
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Daniel Faalele’s College Tape and Draft Stock
When you take a look at Faalele, his size can remind you of the Patriots’ Trent Brown, though he looks even bigger than New England’s mammoth right tackle from 2021.
Here is a closer look at Faalele in a highlight reel prepping for the 2022 NFL Draft.
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When you consider Brown is headed for free agency this offseason and there are concerns as to whether the Patriots will be able to bring him back, it would make sense to add a player like Faalele in the draft.
The Patriots could be in the market for multiple offensive tackles. Starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn has yet to establish himself as a star. The team won’t save any money if they release him, but New England might try to find a team willing to take Wynn in a trade. He will make $10.4 million in 2022, but is also eligible for an extension that could knock the cap hit down to $7.5 million, per Over The Cap.
What Position Should Be Patriots’ Biggest Concern?
The offensive line is a unit in need of some attention for the Patriots, but it is not the area of the team that is most in need. New England’s linebacker group plays like one of the slowest in the NFL, and that is something Belichick needs to change.
Dont’a Hightower may have played his final game as a Patriot, and the team could even look to move on from guys like Ja’Whuan Bentley. Neither guy has the speed at this stage of their career to cover the pass in space over the middle.
They both also appear to lack the quickness to properly set the edge consistently. In Hightower’s case, age and inactivity seemed to take a toll on his performance. After sitting out the 2020 season as a COVID-19 opt-out, Hightower registered just 64 tackles in 2021.
He missed some crucial tackles in big games for the Patriots as well including a memorable one on the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen in the AFC Wildcard game. Hightower will be 32 in March, but it’ll be an old 32.
It is time for New England to get younger and quicker at linebacker. That should be the team’s primary focus in the NFL Draft.
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