Projected bust would be tragic for the Patriots 2024 hopes

The Patriots' 2023 season was one of the more disappointing years in recent memory, surely near the top of the list under Bill Belichick, and the hope is they will be better in the season ahead. Although they're not expected to be a competitive team just yet, performing better and winning more games in 2024 is certainly a goal, but a questionable roster might deter them from those plans.

Other than what appears to be a solid 2024 Draft class, Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf unimpressed with their moves in free agency, as they did not sign a clear WR1 or an inarguable starting left tackle to replace the departing Trent Brown.

That has raised plenty of questions regarding how improved the offense will be, even more so if they plan to use rookie Drake Maye at all this season.

Because the offense continues to be the biggest concern regarding the roster, Bleacher Report's David Kenyon believes the most likely bust candidate will be one of the newest additions to the team, one who was brought in to help solve some of the biggest problems with the offense, which is an absolute nightmare scenario for the Patriots.

Chukwuma Okorafor will have a lot of pressure to succeed in new role this season

In a piece predicting the biggest busts for every team in the NFL ahead of training camp, Kenyon predicts Okarafor will be the bust of the Patriots roster, which doesn't bode well for their hopes of having an improved offensive line.

He cites the former Steelers' lack of experience at the position in the NFL, as he hasn't played left tackle since his days at Western Michigan. So relying on him to perform well in protecting Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye might not yield the results they need.

"No matter whether Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye is leading the offense, New England has a question mark on the QB's blind side. Chukwuma Okorafor hasn't played left tackle since his final year of college, and making that transition—especially on what's likely a mediocre Patriots team—could be an immense challenge."

Playing left tackle isn't an easy position and it's a tall task to ask a player who doesn't have much experience doing so to be the go-to guy in a developing offense. Clearly, Mayo and Wolf have faith in Okorafor, or they wouldn't have signed him, but it's also apparent that they're not 100% comfortable with the offensive line roster that they currently have., and it's a tall task to ask a player who doesn't have much experience

That was obvious during mini camp when Mayo was shuffling players to see where they saw the most success, even having presumed starting right tackle Michael Onwenu move to right guard.

The left side is far more questionable and will need to be dealt with before Week 1, especially if Okorafor doesn't show much promise throughout training camp and preseason. The good thing is that there are still a few veteran free agent options available that the team could consider if that happens.

More Patriots coverage:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10127886-predicting-every-nfl-teams-biggest-bust-of-the-2024-nfl-season