The New England Patriots have quietly pieced together a surprisingly sturdy offensive line in recent weeks-no small feat considering the injuries they've been juggling. With both Will Campbell and Jared Wilson sidelined at one point, the unit could’ve easily crumbled.
But Wilson is back in the fold, and Vederian Lowe has stepped in admirably for Campbell at left tackle. Still, with Campbell on injured reserve and health concerns lingering across the line, depth remains a real concern heading into Week 17.
Let’s break down where things stand.
With Campbell out, Lowe has taken over the left tackle spot. Behind the starters, the Patriots' bench is thin but functional: Thayer Munford and Marcus Bryant are the reserve tackles, while Ben Brown provides interior depth. Caedan Wallace, who played tackle last season, has been moved inside to help bolster the interior.
The reshuffling has been a direct response to a string of injuries. Veteran Morgan Moses, who turns 36 this offseason, has been battling through a grueling campaign.
He exited the Sunday night matchup against the Ravens with a knee injury, and Munford was called on to step in. Though primarily used as a blocking tight end and swing tackle, Munford held his own-logging 20 snaps at right tackle and 12 more as an extra lineman.
His reward? An impressive 88.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.
But even Munford couldn’t escape the injury bug. He too picked up a knee issue later in the game. With both Moses and Munford now questionable for Week 17, head coach Mike Vrabel may need to rethink how he structures his gameday roster-because the Patriots are running out of healthy tackles.
That brings us to Marcus Bryant.
He’s not the first name that comes to mind when you think of New England’s rookie class, but he’s quietly been one of the more intriguing developmental pieces. After four years at SMU and a final season at Missouri, Bryant was taken in the seventh round and showed flashes during the preseason. He posted a solid 77.0 pass-blocking grade and allowed pressure on just 2.2% of his snaps-a strong showing for a late-round rookie.
Bryant’s only seen the field for 18 snaps this season, seven of which came against the Bengals in an emergency situation after both Campbell and Moses went down. He’s been inactive the past three weeks, largely because Munford’s arrival from the Browns’ practice squad pushed him down the depth chart. But with the tackle situation now in flux, Bryant may be back in the conversation.
Physically, he checks the boxes. At 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds, he’s the tallest player on the team and one of the heaviest.
He’s got the frame you want in an NFL tackle and the kind of build that suggests long-term potential. But right now, the Patriots might not have the luxury of long-term thinking-they may need him sooner than expected.
If Moses and Munford can’t go, Vrabel has a decision to make. One option could be sliding Mike Onwenu back out to right tackle, a position he’s played before, and plugging Ben Brown into right guard. But if Bryant is active, he at least gives the team another body at a position that’s been battered all season.
Whether or not he sees real game action, Bryant deserves a hard look as a potential addition to the Week 17 gameday roster. With the Patriots clinging to their offensive line depth by a thread, it might be time to break the glass and see what the rookie can do.