Report: Patriots Have The Best Offensive Guard Duo In The NFL

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the spine of the team, and head coach Bill Belichick works really hard to strengthen his protection. Protecting Brady has always been a priority, and the Patriots do that from the inside. TB12 has the best pocket presence in the league, and he knows how to step away from pressure when it comes his way. Brady is able to make the most out of his pocket presence, but that would never happen if it wasn’t clean on the inside. That’s when the offensive guard duo steps in.

Brady is a lucky player. New England has an elite group of interior offensive linemen. Center David Andrews is awesome, but we should better focus on the starting duo at offensive guard.

The Patriots took Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney in back-to-back drafts. Mason was selected in the fourth round as 131^st overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Thuney was the Patriots third-round selection and the 78^th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Mason entered the league as a dominant run blocker out of Georgia Tech. Many experts were worried about his pass blocking. However, he handled the issue with care, and today he is one of the stronger starters for the Patriots.

Mason took the role of a full-time starter for the Patriots at the right guard position at the very first moment he became a Patriot rookie. He developed into one of the greatest premier interior offensive linemen in the league. In 2018, Mason brought his game to the next level and became a first-team All-Pro player by Pro Football Focus.

During his three season in the league, Thuney was the Patriots starting left guard. He had this role in every single game. The Patriots played 57 games, and Thuney started 57. He may not be as dominant as Mason, but he is solid and consistent, and that’s what Belichick likes about him. Thuney is an efficient run blocker who can mix it up on the inside. He also is fast enough to pull out and create blocks on the edge. Belichick knows that he is an excellent pass protector.