The New England Patriots‘ decision to forgo selecting an offensive tackle with one of their 12 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft led to many who follow the team scratching their heads.

It turns out they might have actually drafted one.

Early in Day 3, the Patriots selected three interior offensive linemen during Rounds 4 and 5. One of those selections was Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow, who the Patriots took with the No. 117 overall pick in the fourth round. It turns out the Patriots view him as more than just a guard though as they were “excited” to select him in the fourth round, according to the Monday Morning Quarterback's Albert Breer.

“My understanding is they’re gonna try Sow at tackle, where he actually played as a true freshman in 2018,” Breer wrote in a column on Tuesday.

As Breer mentioned, Sow began his college career as a left tackle, starting in 11 of the 13 games he played in for the Eagles that season. But he shifted over to left guard in 2019, where he excelled for much of his college career. He earned third-team All-MAC honors in 2020 before receiving first-team All-MAC honors in each of the last two seasons.

Sow, who turns 25 in June, used his experience practicing Olympic weightlifting from high school days in Quebec to his advantage. He consistently graded out as one of the best guards in college football by Pro Football Focus. He earned a run-blocking grade of at least 75 in each of the last three seasons and earned a pass-blocking grade of at least 74 in two of the last three seasons. He projects more as a gap blocker than a zone blocker, which works well in New England's offense.

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The selections of Sow, Troy center Jake Andrews and UCLA guard Antonio Mafi on Day 3 led some to believe that the Patriots could do some shuffling among players already on their offensive line. Guard Michael Onwenu would've made the most sense to kick out to offensive tackle as he played well at the position as a fill-in during the 2021 season.

But Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh said that the team likes Onwenu at guard following the draft.

The Patriots added a couple of offensive tackles in free agency, signing Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff to deals. They also retained Conor McDermott, who started the final six games for them at right tackle last season.