Much of the conversation surrounding the Patriots' offensive line so far this offseason has revolved around the plans for Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, and not so much about what they might need to plan after Morgan Moses chooses to retire in the next few years.
There have been rumblings that they might actively look for his successor once free agency begins. Still, no names have been particularly popular until the Chiefs released Jawaan Taylor due to salary-cap constraints.
Despite being a solid protector for Patrick Mahomes over the last three years, Kansas City decided he was an easy cut to make, and he could now become a primary target for New England, especially since Taylor is only 28 years old with a lot of traits to like in their next right tackle.
Patriots might stumble into their next starting right tackle after Chiefs release Jawaan Taylor
With so many players already becoming salary cap casualties, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report labeled Taylor as a great fit for the Patriots, mostly due to Moses' eventual retirement.
Considering how difficult it is to find talented offensive linemen in today's NFL, they'll need to jump on the opportunity to sign Taylor if they feel he can be the right guy to succeed Moses. And at this point, most of their other tackle options seem better suited for the left side, which doesn't help them much when they already have Will Campbell stationed there.
"While the Pats allowed Drake Maye to be sacked a concerning 47 times during the regular season, they simply couldn't keep the star quarterback upright during the playoffs. Maye set an NFL record by taking a whopping 21 sacks during a four-game postseason run.
Although Taylor had issues with penalties this past season—drawing 13 flags (the fifth-most of any tackle last year) in just 12 games according to Pro Football Focus—he was still a positive force in pass protection. He conceded only three sacks across his 517 pass blocking snaps in 2025."
Because pass-blocking was arugably the weakest part of the offense's performance last year, Taylor being one of the best in the league makes him all the more desirable for the Patriots.
They want to prioritize making life easier for Drake Maye in Year 3, and the biggest proponent of that will be to add more talented linemen on the offensive line, and Taylor certainly fits that criteria and could serve that role for a long time.
It would give them an immediate starter after Moses hangs up his cleats, rather than hoping they can find an adequate replacement in the draft and risk what his performance might lead to.