The New England Patriots have added offensive tackle Joe Thuney with the 78th pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Patriots acquired the 78th overall pick after trading down with the New Orleans Saints.
How's this for an awesome pick? Let Pro Football Focus explain.
"One of the nation's top guards in 2014, Thuney made a smooth transition to left tackle in 2015 finishing fourth in the draft class at +35.6 overall. He surrendered only seven pressures on 507 attempts in pass protection and at the very least he'll bring versatility to an offensive line as a capable guard or tackle."
Thuney stands at 6'4 5/8, and weighs 304 lbs while running a sub-5 40 yard dash. He ranked as Pro Football Focus' top pass blocking offensive tackle and received a 2nd round grade. He allowed 2 sacks, 1 hit, and 4 hurries over 472 pass blocks.
The Patriots needed help on the offensive line as Nate Solder returns from a torn biceps, Sebastian Vollmer continues to age, and Marcus Cannon is connected to an awfully expensive price tag. Thuney will allow the Patriots to move on from Cannon, or at least give the Patriots some freedom to decide how to move forward with the position during camp.
Thuney answers a lot of questions and is one of the best options at this point in the draft, alongside (and probably above) the likes of Stanford's Kyle Murphy or Nebraska's Alex Lewis.