It's no secret the New England Patriots still need a lot more help on the offensive line, and at this stage of free agency, the best way to bolster these positions is in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Even if the Patriots draft an offensive tackle with the No. 4 pick in the first round, it would be wise to invest at least one more of their nine total picks in an offensive lineman.
In addition to left tackle, the Patriots could also use more depth at center following David Andrews' release earlier this month.
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Two interesting options for the Patriots on Day 2 and Day 3 of the upcoming draft play for Boston College: tackle Ozzy Trapilo and center Drew Kendall.
Boston College held its Pro Day on Monday, and both Trapilo and Kendall took part in drills. The Patriots were represented by head coach Mike Vrabel, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden, and offensive line coach Doug Marrone, among others.
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Bill O’Brien on BC’s prospects and what non-QB position he’d build on | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
On the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry talked with BC head coach Bill O'Brien about Trapilo and Kendall.
"I think Ozzy's an excellent tackle. I think he can play right tackle. I think he can play left tackle. We played him at right tackle because we had a guy named Jude Bowry who was left-handed and a left tackle, but Ozzy could have easily been on the left.
"Drew Kendall's just very tough, very smart in the mold of a Dan Koppen, a Ryan Wendell or David Andrews -- those types of guys who have been the mainstays of the offensive line of the Patriots. Drew's got similar qualities. I'm really excited for those guys."
Trapilo has tremendous size at 6-foot-8 and 316 pounds. He started 12 of 13 games at right tackle and was named to the All-ACC first team. He started games at left tackle earlier in his Eagles career but was a mainstay at right tackle over the last two seasons.
Kendall, who's listed at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, was a team captain who started all 13 games at center for the Eagles. Just like Trapilo, he was also selected to the All-ACC first team and excelled in pass protection.
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As Vrabel tries to instill a new culture in Foxboro, having a team-first mentality will be important. Kendall embodied that at Boston College, and one example was his decision to play in the Pinstripe Bowl against Nebraska. A lot of players who will be drafted skip their team's bowl game if it's not part of the College Football Playoff. The risk of injury is often a reason cited for sitting out.
But Kendall decided to play for the Eagles in their final game of the season.
"First of all, he was deciding during that -- there's time there between the end of the season, the Pittsburgh game and then the bowl game. He was deciding whether he was going to go out for the draft or come back because he could have come back and played a fifth year here.
"I met with his parents. His parents are awesome. His dad, Pete, was a great player in the NFL, great college player, and Drew's got a great mom. We met, and at the end of the day, Drew decided to enter into the draft.
"But he said, 'Look, I want to play my last game at BC.' That says a lot about Drew and his love of football. Unfortunately, he got injured in the game. But he did put the helmet on for one last time, and that meant a lot to us as a program and it tells you what he's all about."
Also in this episode:
- Bill O’Brien on the Patriots' presence at Boston College Pro Day
- The importance of a strong offensive line in the NFL
- What are the keys to a successful rebuild of a football team?
- Non-QB position Bill would build on first