New England Patriots select Georgia offensive guard Isaiah Wynn with No. 23 pick
With the No. 23 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Georgia offensive lineman, Isaiah Wynn.
The New England Patriots entered the 2018 NFL Draft with a few glaring needs. One of those needs was along the offensive line.
With their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Patriots decided it was time to improve the offensive line.
With the No. 23 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Georgia offensive lineman, Isaiah Wynn. With their needs along the offensive line, this selection makes some sense. However, it is a bit.
Wynn was a rated as an early second round pick. He was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs, playing left guard and left tackle. At the next level, Wynn was projected to be a left guard. His size limitations are not as drastic for a guard. However, it looks like the Patriots will try and use Wynn at tackle at the beginning.
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Wynn was announced as a tackle when commissioner Roger Goodell announced his name. That means he will probably be given an opportunity to compete for the starting left tackle spot, which was vacated by Nate Solder‘s departure in free agency. He will face competition from free agent signing Matt Tobin and holdovers Antonio Garcia and LaAdrian Waddle, who was re-signed.
If Wynn doesn’t win the left tackle job, the Patriots will at least have a versatile player on their depth chart. It is unlikely that Wynn unseats left guard Joe Thuney, center David Andrews or right guard Shaq Mason, at least as a rookie.
According to scouting reports, the Patriots are getting a solid player in Wynn even if his position is unsettled at this point. Wynn possesses a solid combination of agility, balance, power and technique.
The only issue with Wynn heading into the draft is that he underwent surgery on a torn labrum in January. However, he still performed well at the Senior Bowl despite the injury and is expected to be back in time for training camp.
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Overall, this pick was a bit of a reach. However, Wynn is a good prospect that can be plugged into the lineup right away at guard if the Patriots shuffle around their starting offensive line.