There are many positions that the Patriots will likely prioritize in the upcoming NFL Draft, with the offensive line among the most important. They appear to have most of the group set, with Will Campbell at left tackle, Jared Wilson at center, and Mike Onwenu at right guard. But the other roles are far from solidified for the long-term future.
Mike Vrabel and Co. did bring in Alijah Vera-Tucker to take over at left guard, and he has been considered a great addition, considering how talented he is when he's able to take the field consistently. But there needs to be a succession plan in place for Morgan Moses, who will start the 2026 season at 35.
That puts right tackle near the top of the list for the Patriots to look for in next month's draft, and there might be nobody better than a Boston College athlete who has already been working with legendary coach Dante Scarnecchia.
Not only that, but he has a connection to the team's current offensive line coach, Doug Marrone, on top of being coached by Bill O'Brien for the last two seasons in Boston.
The perfect right tackle could be on the board for the Patriots on Day 3
Although there is a lot of chatter about taking an offensive lineman in the early rounds, there is plenty of room for the Patriots to add more talent on Days 2 and 3, which is fortunately where Jude Bowry is projected to go.
He is already considered a talent with the potential to develop into a starter, and looking at how well the Patriots' draft class performed last year, there's plenty of reason to believe he could accomplish that and then some in no time.
He would have the opportunity to be somewhere familiar, while also working with coaches he already knows and receiving mentorship from one of the best teammates on the Patriots, Morgan Moses.
Bowry is a physical player with the kind of versatility that a team like New England loves, and that's one of the reasons NFL analyst Lance Zierlein sees him as an intriguing prospect.
"Toolsy left tackle prospect carrying both a higher ceiling and lower floor. Bowry is typically in the right place at the right time in protection. He has the feet to match edge speed but needs to improve hand usage and punch timing to firm up his outside edge/protect against bull rushers. He’s hit-or-miss as a drive blocker but the hits carry force and movement.
Inconsistencies are a concern, but Bowry is a plus athlete who could be targeted as a swing tackle on the second or third day of the draft."
As a later draft pick, Bowry will clearly need work and time to get to the level that he would need to be to start at an NFL level. But the Patriots are a good team to get him there, and they certainly need the help on the offensive line.
There's plenty to like about the kind of player he is, and the fact that he's already working with Scarnecchia means he's getting a foundation that makes him invaluable in the eyes of the Patriots. So he should be kept on a shortlist of players they should target.