The New England Patriots entered the offseason program with two spots on the offensive line seemingly spoken for with David Andrews at center and Mike Onwenu at right tackle, but could the latter be on the move?
Onwenu, 26, entered the NFL as a guard when New England selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft out of Michigan. However, in three of his four seasons with the Patriots, he played more tackle than he did guard.
This offseason, New England gave Onwenu a three-year, $57 million contract, presumably to be their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future, but the team's work during mandatory minicamp has led to some speculation about Onwenu's position.
Onwenu took reps at right tackle, but he also took some at right guard, allowing rookie Caedan Wallace to see snaps at right tackle.
The Patriots had one of the worst offensive line units in the league in 2023, as they rushed for just 3.9 yards per carry (tied for seventh-worst in the NFL), and their quarterbacks were sacked 2.8 times per game (tied for ninth-most).
New England may just be trying out different combinations in case players get injured, but they may also be seeing what their best group is.
Honestly, Onwenu is probably a better guard than he is a tackle, but he's been forced to play there because of the lack of talent and injuries at the position in recent years.
If Ownenu does move back to guard, their potential starting line could be Chukwuma Okorafor, Sidy Sow, Andrews, Onwenu and Wallace from left to right. That's still not great on paper, but it could be the best five they can put out there each week.
A move to guard would make Onwenu the fifth-highest-paid guard in the league, while he's currently the ninth-highest-paid tackle.
