Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu projects to be one of the team’s most coveted free agents this spring.

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The 26-year-old has started more than 20 games at right guard and right tackle and taken snaps at left guard. Onwenu’s midseason switch from right guard to right tackle last year helped stabilize a position the coaching staff couldn’t plug without him. In three of his four years as a starter, Onwenu has ranked among the highest-graded players at his position at Pro Football Focus.

Despite that, the Patriots “essentially know Onwenu isn’t coming back, and he will have high bidders,” according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Onwenu has previously expressed a desire to stay in New England, as he heads into free agency for the first time. Fowler cites Onwenu’s talent and standing as one of the best offensive tackles on the market as why he’s likely to leave in mid-March.

The Patriots are currently projected to hold the fourth-most cap space in free agency at just shy of $68 million. The front office, currently being run by director of player personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf, will have several in-house free agents to address. In addition to Onwenu, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, tight end Hunter Henry, safety Kyle Dugger, offensive tackle Trent Brown and pass rusher Josh Uche are scheduled to hit free agency.

According to a source, the Patriots have already approached Bourne about an extension, while he rehabs from the torn ACL that ended his season last October. Nothing between the sides is imminent, per source.

If the Patriots chose to keep Onwenu via the franchise tag — a 1-year, fully guaranteed contract that retains the player at a fixed cost — he would earn $21.2 million, per Over The Cap projections. Of all the team’s in-house free agents, Dugger is seen as the most likely candidate to receive the franchise tags with safety projections coming in at $17.2 million for next season.

Onwenu entered the league as a sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2020.