Patriots Pick Layden Robinson at No. 103 in the 2024 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots finished Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft by bolstering their offensive line in the form of Penn State’s Caeden Wallace. Eliot Wolf went back to the trenches to begin Day 3 on Saturday. This time the selection was Texas A&M offensive guard Layden Robinson.

In the NFL 7-Round Mock Draft on Patriots Football Now, Robinson was No. 144 overall (Round 5) so an early Day 3 pick is where he was projected to go.

Layden Robinson

Robinson came out of Manvel High School in Manvel, Tex as a three-star recruit. He was ranked as a center coming out of high school. Although he transitioned to guard in college, his potential versatility likely made him an attractive option as a Day 3 pick.

Layden Robinson committed to Texas A&M where he stayed for his collegiate career. After seeing limited playing time for his first two seasons, Robinson joined the starting lineup in 2021 as a right guard. He had an excellent 2021 season. Pro Football Focus gave him an 80.7 grade on the season. This included an 85.0 grade as a run-blocker, his forte.

Robinson saw his PFF grade dip down to 56.6 in 2022, largely due to a pass-blocking grade of 40.9. For reference, grades below 60.0 are not deemed worthy of a roster spot on their NFL grading chart. His final season in 2023 witnessed improvement to a 65.7 overall grade. He committed eight penalties in 2023, a significant increase from his best season (one) in 2021.

New England’s Offensive Guards

The selection of Layden Robinson, or any offensive guard, comes as a bit of a surprise for New England. The team opted to bolster their guard position, with Cole Strange, Sidy Sow, Atonio Mafi, Nick Leverett, and Michael Jordan already under contract for 2024. Center Jake Andrews also has guard versatility. However, the top three guards on the roster were all drafted or signed by the former regime in Foxboro.  Robinson’s flexibility to potentially shift to center is also a selling point.

Layden Robinson had an outstanding 2021 season but has yet to look like the same player since. The New England Patriots hope to help him return to his sophomore form in the NFL. At 6-foot-3.5 and 302 pounds, Robinson has sufficient size to play on the interior offensive line in the NFL. He also has the belief of the Patriots decision-makers on his side.