Patriots writer believes team made huge mistake in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Patriots 2024 draft class has seen its fair share of wild overreactions in both directions on the board, from some believing it was the best one in years and others feeling it has the makings of an absolute dumpster fire.

No matter which side of the debate you're on, it's safe to say that we should probably see how the rookies perform in a real NFL game before concluding one way or the other, as that seems to be the most sane way of coming to any decision. Fortunately, that will happen this Sunday when the Patriots play the Bengals in Week 1.

Even with that in mind, some fans and even reporters still feel they've seen enough to assume how the season will go with specific rookie players or the lack of certain rookie players. One of those is Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard, who feels the Patriots missed the mark in the draft earlier this year by not trading up for one specific left tackle.

The longtime reporter points to the Chiefs accomplishing the trade-up for the player. Based on what we saw from the rookie, Bedard seems already sure the Patriots made a mistake by not getting a better trade done before the Super Bowl champions did.

Patriots reporter believes the team will regret not trading up for Kingsley Suamataia

Because it was well known that New England was going to take a quarterback with the third overall pick in this year's draft, the focus turned to what they would do with their next picks, with many hoping they would trade back into the first round specifically for a starting left tackle.

The offensive line has had its issues over the last few years, and with the departure of Trent Brown, the left side was one of the weakest parts of the offense heading into this offseason. So it seemed like the obvious choice for the Patriots to prioritize that position with their next earliest picks.

Instead, they selected receiver Ja'Lynn Polk in round 2 and right tackle Caedan Wallace in the third. That's where things went downhill, according to Bedard.

The Chiefs traded up a few spots to acquire left tackle (with right tackle experience) Kingsley Suamataia, a trade the Patriots could have easily trumped to get the impressive offensive lineman. He performed well during training camp and the preseason, which has made Bedard believe the Patriots made a mistake in passing on the opportunity to draft him.

He certainly makes a fair point, as the Patriots would have had a better trade package to offer to move up for Suamataia. However, those picks became guard Layden Robinson and receiver Javon Baker, two other needy positions on the offense that couldn't be overlooked any longer.

Although the left tackle position is still a weakness on the roster heading into the regular season, it's hard to completely agree with Bedard's assessment that the team would have been better served trading for the rookie tackle rather than who they selected with their picks.

Robinson and Wallace have looked good during the summer and are projected to become big contributors on the offensive line, which could be argued to be better than landing one starting left tackle.

A few of the practice squad additions also bring optimism regarding the offensive line's depth. Two tackles in particular, Demontrey Jacobs and Caleb Jones, have a lot of promise and high ceilings. If they can become starting-caliber players, then passing on Suamataia won't be a problem for much longer.

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