The New England Patriots got a glimpse of the future on Thursday night as No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye performed well in his first extended showing of the preseason. The rookie's outing was encouraging enough that first-year coach Jerod Mayo even left open the possibility that he could start for the team as soon as Week 1. However, if the Patriots want to ensure that Maye is properly developed, they may want to bolster the offensive line, particularly the left tackle position before he is thrust into action.
The tackle position has been a major storyline throughout the offseason for New England and has continued to be so throughout the summer amid poor play from those on the roster. Recently, veteran Vederian Lowe has been a fixture at left tackle for the Patriots, leaving a lot to be desired. He was beaten a number of times in the preseason exhibition against Philadelphia, including allowing a big hit on Maye late in the third quarter. He also committed a false start on Maye's first drive of the night.
These struggles by Lowe -- and honestly whomever has lined up at blindside tackle this summer -- do beg the question if the Patriots will look for outside help to try and raise the ceiling of the line and the offense as a whole. If they do, here are a handful of options readily available on the free-agent market.
Bakhtiari is one of the more decorated tackles of his era, earning a total of five All-Pro nods through the course of his career. He was released by the Green Bay Packers in March as he has battled a number of injuries over the last few years. In all, Bakhtiari has played 13 regular-season games over the past three seasons. So, with that in mind, his health would be a major factor in whether the Patriots pursue him, but if he is remotely close to full strength, he's still immensely talented and would solidify the blind side. There also is a bit of a connection between Bakhtiari and the Patriots as current vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf was in Green Bay's front office as the director of pro personnel when the tackle was drafted in 2013.
Smith is a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and does have two Super Bowl championships on his résumé, including last season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith started in 12 regular-season games for K.C. and all four playoff matchups, including Super Bowl LVIII. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith allowed just two sacks in 2023 in 749 snaps.
Humphries is another free-agent tackle with a solid pedigree. He was a first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. He was released by Arizona in March after nine seasons but is still only 30 years old. He surrendered four sacks in 922 offensive snaps played last season, per PFF.
Peters is quite long in the tooth as he is looking at possibly playing in his age-42 season. If he still has a desire to play, it wouldn't be bad for the Patriots to see what he has left in the tank considering the situation they find themselves in. Of course, Peters wouldn't be the All-Pro-caliber player he was in the 2010s, but could he be an average left tackle within this line? He played in just eight games (two starts) for the Seahawks last season but allowed zero sacks in 215 offensive snaps.
Leno started all 13 of his games played for the Commanders last season before being placed on injured reserve due to a calf injury. When he was on the field, the 32-year-old allowed three sacks in 880 offensive snaps played. The former seventh-round pick out of Boise State is hardly a brick wall at the tackle spot but could be an upgrade from what New England is currently getting.