They haven’t wasted resources fortifying a feeble offensive line, but the New England Patriots still have question marks about left guard and depth, questions a pair of out of favor blockers could help answer during the team’s training camp.
One member of the duo, Layden Robinson, will be a “sneaky storyline to monitor,” when veterans report on Tuesday, July 22, according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar. He pointed out how “in the spring, Robinson wasn’t as involved with the top group as one might expect after showing some positive flashes in 11 starts as a rookie. The fourth-rounder has good power, but it’s unclear how the new coaching staff views him.”
The decline in his reps has come at a bad time for Robinson, who needs to make himself a factor in the battle to become starting left guard. It’s a competition Lazar noted is currently fronted by veteran Cole Strange, but Robinson is also in the mix, along with Sidy Sow, “who fell out of favor with last year’s coaching staff but performed adequately as a run blocker at right guard for Bill O’Brien during his first season in 2023.”
Shifting Mike Onwenu back inside means the Pats don’t need help at right guard, but Sow can still put himself into the conversation for snaps next to the team’s top draft pick, left tackle Will Campbell.
Patriots Need a Standout Left Guard to Emerge
Putting a stable force next to Campbell is the best way for the Patriots to help the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL draft successfully acclimate to life in the pros. His job will be tough enough as the blindside protector for Drake Maye, who the Patriots are counting on to be a franchise quarterback.
It won’t happen without a sturdy offensive line, something that requires five reliable starters. Strange hardly qualifies after the way he struggled when called upon at center in 2024.
The three-year pro graded 48th in pass protection and 53rd blocking for the run, according to Pro Football Focus. Those numbers don’t inspire confidence Strange can dominate at a key spot, so the Patriots need to find out what they have in Sow and Robinson if they’re going to overcome the likes of Caedan Wallace and this year’s third-round pick Jared Wilson, who has the potential to be a steal.
New head coach Mike Vrabel and his chosen O-line guru Doug Marrone will demand better reps than what Sow put on tape last season. The 2023 fourth-round pick was called out by Cutcall Editor ZeeBee for not being tough enough in the pits against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Pats have a right expect more from a 6-foot-5, 318-pound physical specimen who should be a force along the interior. Especially when Robinson proved he can move the pile in the running game.
Patriots Shouldn’t Give Up on Layden Robinson
An apparent lack of progress for Robinson this offseason is surprising since he stood out more than once during the last campaign. Particularly during Week 1’s 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, one of the few bright spots of the season.
As Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn highlighted, Robinson (64) attacked Cincy’s defense “with several knockdowns and big blocks.”
Vrabel has always prided himself on directing bruising teams, so he’d wrong to overlook a lineman who can put defenders on skates the way Robinson did in some of these clips.
Consistency will be the key for Robinson showing Vrabel and Marrone why he deserves another chance. He started the first four games of last season but was benched a week later, sitting out the next seven games, before returning against the Indianapolis Colts and playing every snap until the end of the campaign, per Pro Football Reference.
The real Robinson is somewhere among this uneven usage. Either a true mauler who can be trusted next to Campbell, or somebody facing an uphill battle just to win over his new coaches and make the final roster.
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