The New England Patriots, you may have heard, are the defending Super Bowl champions. With the NFL Draft behind us, we are going to begin examining the Patriots roster to see if New England retooled enough to defend their crown. We are starting this series by looking at the offensive line.

The New England Patriots had an elite offensive line in 2018. They were ranked as the 4th best unit by ProFootballFocus. All five starters were among the top-75 graded offensive line in the NFL by PFF’s grading. New England has a claim to the best interior offensive line in the entire league. Given that information, it will come as no surprise that last season the Patriots ranked 6th in pass block grading, and second in run block grading.

They did, however, lose their starting left tackle from last season. An unproven 2018 draftee may end up protecting Tom Brady‘s blindside in 2019.

Tackle

With Trent Brown defecting for the Oakland Raiders, the Patriots are looking for a new left tackle. They have a few options, with a new one joining this week.

Marcus Cannon

Cannon was able to stay healthy enough for 836 snaps last season. While he did not get back to his 2016 level of play, he was solid on the year. However, this surely isn’t what the Patriots envisioned when Cannon signed his five-year extension in November 2016.

In 2018, Cannon allowed 24 pressures and committed 7 penalties. Both of those numbers are superior to Brown, who allowed 35 pressures and committed 9 penalties. Although Brown did play 254 more snaps than Cannon, the difference in pressures is significant. Considering Brown signed for four years and $66 million, Cannon’s five-year, $32.41 million extension looks pretty good.

Those 24 pressures are the 8th fewest allowed by an offensive tackle to played at least 800 snaps last season.

Isaiah Wynn

Wynn is the wildcard. The 23rd overall pick in 2018 missed his rookie year due to a torn Achilles tendon. Bill Belichick wanted a long-term solution at tackle after having watched Nate Solder leave in free agency. After missing an entire year of development, it is anyone’s guess as to how Wynn will fare in 2019. It should not be viewed as a guarantee that he wins the starting left tackle job.

Jared Veldheer

Signed earlier in the week, Veldheer seems to be the emergency option. Veldheer has not been a good tackle the past two seasons. However, he was a solid or very good offensive tackle in five of the six seasons prior to 2017. Veldheer has had some injury issues over the years as well, but if he can stay healthy in New England, offensive line coaching god Dante Scarnecchia may be able to get him back to his previous form.

Yodny Cajuste

The developmental rookie. It is unlikely Cajuste begins the season as a starter, but that was never the plan. The Patriots took Cajuste in the late third round to develop behind the scenes. He is another form of insurance in case Wynn flops. Additionally, releasing Cannon in 2020 will save New England $6.35 million in cap space.

Guard

Shaq Mason

Mason, The PFF All-Pro right guard received the highest grade at the guard position in 2018, and it wasn’t particularly close. He received a grade of 85, with Zack Martin coming in second at 78.6.

Mason allowed 16 pressures in 2018, the 5th fewest amount at the guard position among 27 individuals that logged at least 934 snaps. While clearly a solid pass protector, he really excels at run blocking. Out of all qualified guards, Mason received the highest run blocking grade in 2018.

Joe Thuney

Here is the pass blocking guard for the Patriots. Thuney received the 5th highest pass blocking grade among guards in 2018. The only guards higher in this category were Martin, Kevin Zeitler, Joel Bitonio, and David DeCastro. Or, in other words, exactly who you would have guessed.

Ted Karras

Karras is a reliable back-up guard. While playing limited snaps, Karras has provided solid play for New England the past two seasons.

Hjalte Froholdt

The developmental guard. Froholdt is a fourth-round pick for the Patriots that is loaded with upside. Thuney will be entering unrestricted free agency in 2020, and after already having extended Mason, New England may not want to hand out a second lucrative contract at the position. Froholdt, along with his classmate Cajuste, may be groomed behind the scenes in 2019 in order to take over a starting position in 2020.

Center

David Andrews

Andrews completes the Patriots’ interior trio. He received the 7th highest PFF grade among centers in 2018. Andrews is a better pass blocker than run blocker. Like Mason, Andrews allowed 16 pressures last year. Among centers that played at least 954 snaps, Andrews allowed the 7th fewest pressures.

Weakness

If New England has one weakness along the offensive line, it is depth at center. Backing up Andrews is James Ferentz, Jake Eldrenkamp, and Tyler Gauthier. Not all three figure to be on the final roster, but regardless, it is not an inspiring list.

Overview

In total, the Patriots return four of five starters from the league’s 4th best offensive line in 2018. That’s a good start. They have a strong claim to the best interior trio in the NFL. When Cannon stays healthy, he provides solid play, with upside for more. New England is going to end up relying on either an injury-riddled, on-the-decline veteran (Veldheer) or completely unproven commodity (Wynn) at left tackle as Brady attempts to continue winning the battle against father time.

While the last sentence of the above paragraph is nothing short of terrifying, overall the Patriots offensive line is in good shape.