The New England Patriots’ first draft class after the Bill Belichick era started off with a massive splash, but man, did it ever go sideways after that. Quarterback Drake Maye was the third overall pick, a huge move by Eliot Wolf and then-head coach Jerod Mayo, but the rest of that draft class has been a complete ghost town. Out of the other seven selections, only two players are even left on the roster. One is Marcellas Dial Jr, a sixth-round cornerback, and the other is offensive tackle Caedan Wallace, a third-round pick who has only seen action in a measly ten games throughout his entire career. You read that right. Ten games.
From College Star to NFL Uncertainty
Wallace, rocking jersey number 70, is a mountain of a man, listed at 6’4 7/8” and a solid 320 lbs. He'll be 26 on April 18th this year. This dude didn't just walk onto a football field, he crushed it in high school, pulling in four-star recruit status after transferring to The Hun School in Princeton. We're talking scholarship offers from big-time programs like Rutgers, Oklahoma, LSU, and Michigan. But he chose Penn State, and he absolutely balled out for the Nittany Lions. After a quiet start, Wallace locked down a starting spot at right tackle in 2020 during his redshirt freshman campaign and never let it go. He wrapped up his college run with 47 appearances, 40 of them starts, and even earned an honorable All-Big Ten mention. The Patriots saw something special and snagged him with the 68th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 draft.The Big Man’s Fight for Impact
So, what happened since then? His rookie year in 2024 was cut short by injuries, limiting him to six games and just two starts. Then, he got shifted from tackle to guard heading into his sophomore campaign. That next season in 2025? Only four games. That's a grand total of ten games in two NFL seasons for a third-round pick. It’s tough, man, you expect more immediate impact from a guy with his college pedigree and physical gifts. The scouting reports on Wallace are clear: he’s got the ideal build , height, weight, length , and he pairs that with a natural athletic skillset. This guy is quick out of his stance, packing the speed and lateral mobility to hit his spots on zone structures, crush reach blocks, and be a force as a pull and screen blocker. When he plants his feet and keeps a steady base, he shows good balance and knows how to finish a block. He plays with an aggressive edge, through the whistle, and with active hands. But the real question is, can he consistently put it all together? Only two players remain from that entire draft outside of Maye, and Wallace is one of them. For him, the upcoming season isn't just another year, it's a chance to prove why he was a third-round selection, to translate those raw, undeniable strengths into a consistent, impactful presence on the line. The Patriots need him to step up, and he needs to grab that opportunity with both hands.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.