For the past five seasons, ex-Patriots offensive tackle Yasir Durant has been on the fringe of the NFL, spending his first season with the Chiefs, as an undrafted free agent back in 2020. Kansas City was set to waive him after the following training camp, in 2021, when the Patriots stepped in and gave up a seventh-round pick to bring him to New England.
He spent one season with the Patriots, appearing in seven games, and was moved on to the practice squad circuit, signing with the Saints and the Broncos. Now he is back, as multiple reports have him signing a one-year contract with the Pats.
Still only 27 years old, Durant had a standout season in the UFL this year, playing for the champion DC Defenders and earning the All-UFL spot as the top left tackle in the league. That, of course, is the position of greatest concern in New England, and has been for the past two years–especially with quarterback Drake Maye‘s blind side at stake. The Patriots drafted Will Campbell from LSU with the No. 4 pick to address that need in 2025.
Behind Campbell, though, things are dicey. Veteran Vederian Lowe is his backup, and seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant is also in the mix. But Pro Football Focus ranked Lowe as the No. 69 out of 81 tackles in the NFL last year, and Bryant will be in a fight for a job, too. Durant gives the Patriots a third contestant for the backup LT job.
Patriots Offensive Line Has Been Rebuilt
PFF was, in general, not very big on the Patriots’ offensive line last season, as the team allowed 52 sacks, the fifth-most in the NFL. The site ranked the Patriots’ line, overall, 32nd out of 32.
It’s been a clear focus to improve that bunch, with the addition of right tackle Morgan Moses, the drafting of Campbell and the addition of new center Garrett Bradbury. The Patriots are hoping a general improvement in talent at those spots will boost guards Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange, both of whom struggled last year.
“We’re going to give everybody our best, and our job is to take the guys that we have on our offense and make them better. I think that’s a huge part of an assistant coach’s job is to develop the players that you have,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said earlier in the spring about the Patriots line.
“I know our staff is excited to start doing that next week, and we’ll get to know them more as we go, but I’m confident in the guys we have working right now offensively on our staff that are preparing to teach these guys the things we want to do. Then it’s a process. We’ll get to know them more as we go, but we’re excited.”
