New England Patriots jolt the NFL with a sparkling 7-round mock draft

In the fourth round, the Patriots double down on a critical offensive position.

In the fourth round, the Pats again look to strengthen their weakest position on the offensive line and take another big tackle, this time Blake Fisher from Notre Dame, with their one pick, No. 103. In so doing, they've added two top tackles to the offensive line and further shored up that dismal 2023 unit.

The draftnetwork.com notes these traits of Fisher,

"In the run game, Fisher will not displace bodies but consistently wins the leverage battle to shift opponents’ equilibrium to his advantage. Quick, spring-loaded hands to ‘win first’ inside the armpit of defenders. Once hands are clamped, the rep is usually over...

"In pass pro, Fisher showcases excellent footwork combined with vice grips for hands and a quick anchor. Attacks defensive ends, not allowing a runway to build speed. Excellent kick-slide and is rarely caught off balance. Will hinge at the waist to ‘lean’ on pass rushers after hands are attached to take the air out of a rep, slowly walking his feet back to neutral ground. High-level coaching is apparent due to his nuanced hand and leverage techniques to stymie rushers quickly. Excellent length."

Fisher played literally and figuratively in the shadow of his teammate, Notre Dame's 6'8" tall left tackle Joe Alt, who is a lock a top-10 or higher pick in this draft. At 6'6" tall and 311 pounds, Fisher is no small fry himself. After playing in Alt's shadow with the Fighting Irish, Fisher should be well-motivated to demonstrate his own prowess, compete for the starting left tackle position, and just maybe make it his own for the next ten years. That's exactly the right idea.