Patriots draft Justin Herron in sixth round

With the 195th pick, in the sixth round, the Patriots draft offensive lineman Justin Herron from Wake Forest. The pick marked the second offensive lineman (along with Michael Onwenu) drafted in a row for the Patriots as they add more depth to their pass protection unit.

Herron was a standout left tackle and captain at Wake Forest. At 6-foot-3, 308 pounds, he projects as a guard in the NFL. The Patriots also announced him as a guard. At the very least, he’ll have versatility. [...]

With the 195th pick, in the sixth round, the Patriots draft offensive lineman Justin Herron from Wake Forest. The pick marked the second offensive lineman (along with Michael Onwenu) drafted in a row for the Patriots as they add more depth to their pass protection unit.

Herron was a standout left tackle and captain at Wake Forest. At 6-foot-3, 308 pounds, he projects as a guard in the NFL. The Patriots also announced him as a guard. At the very least, he’ll have versatility. Herron was a four-year starter in college, making all 51 starts a left tackle. In 2017, Herron made the third team All-ACC team, but ended up suffering a torn ACL the next season. Last year, he once again made the third team All-ACC squad.

Athletically, Herron meets almost exactly what the Patriots look for in guard prospects. (That’s one reason why the Providence Journal mocked him to the Patriots this past week). When you average Combine times for all interior line prospects drafted by Bill Belichick, Herron hits on height, weight, vertical, bench and broad jump. His five matches tied four other prospects for the most most among all guard/center prospects in this draft.

Herron will compete with Onwenu, Hjalte Froholdt, Jermaine Eluemanor and Najee Toran for the top backup guard spots on the Patriots.

mdaniels@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @MarkDanielsPJ