Wolf Should Consider Bringing Brady Christensen to New England

The New England Patriots offensive line remains a big question mark heading into the 2024 season. The first unit of offensive tackles through two preseason games is Vederian Lowe on the left with Chukwuma Okorafor on the right side. The reserves include Caedan Wallace, Calvin Anderson, Kellen Diesch, and Zuri Henry. If the Patriots are looking to add a potential low-risk, high-reward tackle, Eliot Wolf should call the Carolina Panthers about acquiring Brady Christensen.

Carolina selected Christensen in the third round (No. 70 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at BYU, where he started every game at left tackle for three seasons. He earned consensus first-team All-American honors in 2020. After his third season with the Cougars, he declared for the draft.

Brady Christensen played 16 games as a rookie, starting six times. He played both left guard and left tackle. The Panthers picked sixth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. They used the selection on N.C. State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu. The rookie became an instant starter at left tackle for Carolina. Christensen started all 17 games for Carolina in 2022 at left guard.

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Christensen began the 2023 season as the starter at left guard again. In Week 1 he played every offensive snap. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn biceps injury in the game. Christiansen needed surgery, which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 season. When he returned this season, his left guard starting spot was taken over by Damien Lewis, who was signed in the offseason from the Seattle Seahawks.

Through his first three NFL seasons, Christensen appeared in 34 games. Three of his four highest-graded games, according to Pro Football Focus, came in his rookie season while playing left tackle. This is despite only playing five games with significant time at left tackle, his natural position. While not necessarily a starting NFL-caliber guard, there is still a possibility he can prove himself to be a capable tackle if given the opportunity. He could also improve the depth of the line as a reserve, with the versatility to play either position.

Serviceable offensive tackles remain on the free agent market. This includes Charles Leno Jr., David Bakhtiari, and Donovan Smith. But if Eliot Wolf was planning on signing them, it seems it would have been done already.

The New England Patriots shifted to a zone-blocking scheme this season, which suits Brady Christensen much better than the bully-ball his current employer is looking to utilize. The Carolina Panthers are not competing for a playoff spot in 2024 and Christensen is currently a reserve guard for the team entering the final year of his rookie deal. Trading a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (obtained from the Chargers) should be enough to get a deal done. It’s worth kicking the tires on a player with significant potential upside with over three weeks remaining until the games start to count for real.