The New England Patriots selected Penn State OL Caedan Wallace with the 68th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

A to Z Sports' draft analyst James Foster ranks Wallace as his 114th best overall prospect and 13th wide receiver.

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Player Scouting Report from A to Z Sports Film Room's James Foster

Strengths: (Copied from James Foster's Big Board)

• Thickly built with adequate length for a tackle
• Times up outside hand punch to bait ghost moves
• Outside hand stays attached once he lands his punch
• Extends punch away from his frame, but avoids forward lean
• Strong inside hand & quick response to spin counters
• Arches back & sinks to redirect power rushers
• Uses snatch trap to counter bull rushes & long arms 
• Latches hands inside & creates decent movement off the LOS 
• Coordinated attaching to 2nd level assignments in short areas
• Good hand placement & feel for angles on backside cutoffs

Weaknesses: (Copied from James Foster's Big Board)

• Average pocket range
• Stalls feet at the top of the rush & gives short corner
• Has to lean his weight upfield to match edge speed & can't redirect inside
• Could improve urgency setting his anchor to maintain a spacious pocket 
• Predictable 2-hand punch will be easier to exploit in the NFL 
• Needs to develop a more subtle & nuanced strike approach vs. face-up rushers
• Mediocre recovery athleticism as a zone blocker 
• Struggles to match fast-flowing targets at the 2nd level

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Analysis and Opinion

The Patriots hosted Wallace on a pre-draft visit and it's pretty clear that they were impressed by what the offensive lineman had to offer. 

Wallace has started 40 games at right tackle, but has the ability to play at guard if needed. However, the bigger need for the Patriots was at left tackle, so it'll be interesting to hear the thought process for this pick

However, the three biggest needs for the Patriots were quarterback, receiver, and tackle, and they addressed all of that in the first three rounds. So they had a plan and are sticking to it. 

And there is a lot of high praise for Wallace, with many thinking that he has a ton of potential. So to many, the Patriots got a good one. 

"This is my guy," former safety Louis Riddick said. "I like a whole lot of things about this player. I'm gonna struggle to say anything bad about him. I thought his tape was as good as his much more heralded left tackle in Olu Fashanu. … This guy is another solid pick."

And Eliot Wolf also said that he believes Wallace has the potential to make the switch to the left side. But more on that later.