Mikie Vabel inherited a bottom-of-the-NFL roster from his predecessors in the personnel administration. Fortunately, he was de facto given that portfolio as well as the Head Coaching job, and it's made all the difference.
Amateur hour in Foxborough is over as the former six-year head coach and NFL personnel evaluator for the Titans took charge, and the contrast is unmistakable. Vrabel aced the entire 2025 off-season in stark contrast to a 2024 version that, after drafting Drake Maye, flopped.
One area in which his influence is palpable is his remodeling of the offensive line. Vrabel signed three veteran free agents (one decided to retire). He also drafted three O-linemen, using his first, a third, and a seventh-round pick, and added two more in undrafted free agency. One of the lesser publicized rookies is left tackle Marcus Bryant, a seventh-round pick from Missouri.
Marcus Bryant was a solid draft pick by Mike Vrabel in the seventh round
Seventh-round picks don't usually generate much interest. Marcus Bryant is an exception to the rule. He ticked a lot of boxes for the Patriots. Astutely, Mike Vrabel understood how this bookend to the much more heralded Missouri right tackle, Armand Membou (drafted seventh overall by the Jets), might just fit in.
Membou is a terrific athlete, but was deployed at right tackle while Bryant manned the left. Make any excuse you'd like. When you have a right-handed quarterback as the Tigers did, your best offensive lineman generally plays left tackle. Membou didn't. Bryant did. So it's not a huge surprise that he's emerged as a surprising candidate to make the Patriots roster.
Evan Lazar, a top analyst for patriots.com, has highlighted five players who he calls "under the radar" candidates who are pushing for a roster spot. One plays a pivotal role.
"Following a solid showing in 1-on-1s, the rookie seventh-rounder got the nod over second-year pro Demontrey Jacobs for the first time in Monday's session. Bryant had wins over pass-rushers Truman Jones and Bradyn Swinson to finish 2-1-1 in 1-on-1s on Monday. Plus, he didn't look out of place pass protecting at right tackle in team drills. In college, Bryant mainly played left tackle for Missouri, with first-rounder Armand Membou on the other side.
Bryant's experience at left tackle suggests he'd be comfortable playing there in the pros, so if he can hold up on the right side, he has swing tackle flexibility. The Missouri product also has excellent size (6-7, 320 pounds) and athleticism (8.99 RAS). Bryant emerging as a serviceable backup would be a positive development for the Patriots."
Marcus Bryant is an optimal backup tackle for Mike Vrabel's new offensive line
Drafting Marcus Bryant in the seventh round made perfect sense. Vrabel had already selected his starting left tackle, Will Campbell, in the first round. Yet, Vrabel is keenly aware that the big guys upfront get dinged up, and depth is essential.
The coach had no other viable left tackle options to turn to if Campbell is sidelined for any appreciable time. That's where Bryant steps into the picture. After keeping one of the top tackles in the 2025 draft on the right side at Mizzou, Bryant was worth a gamble, though it may not have been much of one at all.
Bryant, as did Campbell, toiled in the SEC, the best conference and NFL proving ground in college football in 2024. Though Bryant played for four years at SMU before transferring to Missouri, any left tackle from the SEC is worth a looksee. It's even more essential when you have no one to back up your starter on the roster at all. Vrabel added left tackle depth with Bryant in the seventh round.
As Lazar suggests, the huge, 6'7", 320-pound Bryant can train to step in for Moses on the right side, but don't sleep on his value as a backup to Campbell, either. He has that all-important experience working on the left side on an island, and long arms and a huge wingspan. He fits the bill as a backup, and as his recent play indicates, he may just stick as a versatile swing tackle in Drake Maye's offense.