Penn State Football’s Caedan Wallace with NFL Draft, Patriots intro

Penn State offensive lineman Caedan Wallace appears to be a cautious, if not under-the-radar, early draft pick of the New England Patriots.

He is one of the most experienced blockers in the entire 2024 NFL Draft (four-year starter).

He offers intriguing versatility, not only at both tackle spots, but he’s also comfortable, he says, working at all five offensive line positions.

He was certainly one of the most improved starters in the Big Ten last season, evidenced by allowing just one sack in over 350 pass-blocking snaps.

And there’s this: Wallace comes from a family that prioritizes education (his hobbies include Greek and Roman history).

Which leads to him causing a bit of a stir on social media late Friday night after being the 68th pick of the entire NFL Draft, the fourth selection in the third round. When introduced to the media, New England scouting director Eliot Wolf casually mentioned that Wallace’s brother, Charles, was an “oyster scientist.”

Caedan Wallace was then asked about it.

So he quickly took older brother Charles to the video interview session to explain. Charles Wallace said with a broad grin that he was completing his PhD work at the University of Florida.

Checking out the video clip here.

“I do oyster science and oyster management. I study how people interact with the environment, and specifically with oysters and oyster management. So pretty cool stuff.”

Intriguing, for sure.

The same goes for how Wallace, who was largely overshadowed by fellow tackle Olu Fashanu during his Penn State career, may now have a better starting NFL assignment.

Olu lives in a ‘fairy tale’: “He’s a mauler.” What Aaron Rodgers thinks of Penn State Football’s Olu Fashanu

Fashanu was a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets. He starts his Jets career behind two impressive veteran tackles, including an NFL All-Pro.

However, Wallace may get more early playing time. He offers that crucial versatility and could immediately push Chuks Okorafor, who lost his regular-season starting job in Pittsburgh the past two years, against New England’s aging tackle.

Wallace, it turns out, started 40 games in his five seasons with the Nittany Lions, becoming the longest-tenured lineman of head coach James Franklin’s Penn State career.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

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