Open eye for new kid on blocks

The Patriots have to consider their long-term plan at offensive tackle this week.

There’s just one issue. The draft class is horrendous.

There aren’t any elite tackle prospects, and the depth leaves plenty to be desired as well. There’s a very real possibility this is the first draft since 2005 that there aren’t any tackles who are selected in the top 10. There have been two top-10 tackles in the last four drafts, so the current crop is a significant downgrade by comparison.

And remember, NFL scouts typically do a strong job of evaluating tackle prospects relative to other positions. First-rounders have a significantly greater chance to make a Pro Bowl than the remainder of their draft class. So if the top of this year’s group isn’t overly impressive, that’s a bad sign for the tackles who tumble.

So that leaves the Patriots in a tough spot. Starting left tackle Nate Solder and backups Cameron Fleming and LaAdrian Waddle are all only under contract through 2017. Right tackle Marcus Cannon is signed through 2021, so the Patriots are stable at that spot.

But there are two reasons for the Patriots to target a tackle if they can track down the right one, and Tom Brady’s trusty blindside protector is chief among them.

Solder is entering the final season of his twoyear, $20.062 million extension. It’d be a surprise if this were his last year, but the Patriots recognize the 29-year-old has a different perspective on life than most players in their prime. He is a cancer survivor whose young son, Hudson, has also fought cancer since October 2015, and Solder has been diagnosed with several concussions in his career.

As such, Solder very much lives in the moment, and it’s unclear if a contract extension is even something he’d entertain at this point in time.

As for the second reason to address the tackle position, they might want to protect themselves if they lose Fleming next year in free agency. Fleming played well in two spot starts in 2016, one for Solder at left tackle and one for Cannon on the right side, and he has earned a role as a sixth blocker in heavy formations. The Patriots like Fleming, but will they be as aggressive as they were with Cannon in 2014 when they gave him a two-year, $9 million extension?

The Patriots may not have to replace Solder or Fleming after 2017, but they can’t be sure of that before the end of this weekend’s draft.

If the Patriots trade into the first round, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, Alabama’s Cam Robinson and Utah’s Garett Bolles could be in play. From there, it’s a guess if Western Michigan’s Taylor Moton or Florida State’s Roderick Johnson would be in play at No. 72.