Patriots add to O-line, take West Virginia's Cajuste
The New England Patriots selected offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste out of West Virginia in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 101st overall.
Cajuste provides the Patriots with much-needed depth along the offensive line, as the club lost left tackle Trent Brown in free agency. Isaiah Wynn, last year's first-round pick, is recovering from a torn Achilles.
Cajuste allowed 12 quarterback pressures for the Mountaineers a year ago, catapulting him onto draft radars league-wide.
Prospect profile
School: West Virginia
Height: 6-5
Weight: 312 lbs
Strengths
- Great foot speed in pass sets
- Mirrors pass-rushers with lateral movement
- Anchors against power rush attempts with strength and a solid base
- Explosiveness off the ball and power in running game
- Upper-body strength to help steer opponents out of gap
- Works to second level as a run-blocker
- Athleticism to get out and make blocks in space
Weaknesses
- Relatively thin frame
- Tendency to drop head and get caught leaning forward
- Needs to develop hand usage to combat rush moves
- Hand placement must improve
- Takes a lot of penalties
Bottom line
Cajuste is an interesting prospect who shows flashes of everything you want to see from an NFL left tackle. He gets into fluid pass sets with a strong base, shows lateral agility to stick with pass-rushers, and demonstrates strength both in protection and as a run-blocker. There are some frustrating inconsistencies, though, so the hope is that NFL coaching can help to clean up some of the technical flaws. Any success in that regard could make him one of the better all-around tackles in this draft.