The Offensive Line Looks (Pretty Much) Fine in New England

Joe Thuney leads the front five, playing under the franchise tag. (Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Let's start with the bad news. Amidst this global pandemic, right tackle Marcus Cannon has decided not to participate in the 2020 season. That's not ideal, but he also was arguably the weakest link among the starting five up front anyway, so he should be relatively replaceable.

The good news is that the rest of the starting front won't change. Isaiah Wynn (left tackle) has been dominant at times when he's played, Joe Thuney (left guard) is one of the best players in the league at his position, David Andrews (center) returns as the anchor up the middle, and Shaq Mason (right guard) is plenty solid in his own right.

Back to Right Tackle

The more conventional options are Korey Cunningham and Yodny Cajuste, but neither have much playing experience. Cunningham played one game last season after being acquired via a last-minute trade from the Cardinals ahead of last season, and Cajuste (a 2019 third-round draft pick) was inactive for the entire season.

Jermaine Eluemunor is a bit of a wild card in some respect. He was acquired from the Ravens in a similar trade to Cunningham, and although he took the field in 10 games, he's primarily a guard. There's a certain comfort level with him, but his ability at right tackle is seemingly less clear.

The final possibility is sixth-round rookie Justin Herron out of Wake Forest. He has less immediate value, but there's also long-term upside to him playing early and often.

All signs from training camp point to Eluemunor being the starter. Cajuste is the most likely "swing" (No. 3) tackle, with Cunningham and Herron fighting for the fourth and final spot.

Backups Along the Interior

It's doubtful that any of these guys will play much, especially considering the Patriots could always move Eluemunor back to guard if needed. Still, there is some decent depth.

Hjalte Froholdt, a fourth-round selection in 2019, is nearly guaranteed a backup role. From there, Michael Onwunu (sixth-rounder from Michigan) seems to have a slight edge over fellow youngsters Tyler Gauthier and Ben Braden. There's not a lot of certainty, though.