Patriots Season May Hang In The Balance Of This 2025 Third-Rounder
· Yahoo Sports
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The New England Patriots have Super Bowl aspirations in year two of head coach Mike Vrabel. The roster is better than it was last year, the quarterback is more experienced and the players in the locker room have seen firsthand what is possible in Foxboro.
During last season's playoff run, the offensive line was the limiting factor. Drake Maye was hit more than any other quarterback in postseason history.
Most of the bodies across the line are the same, but one key change comes in the interior. Offensive guard Jared Wilson started 13 games at left guard as a rookie. He now kicks inside to replace last year's starting center, Garrett Bradbury.
Wilson played center in college at the University of Georgia, and Vrabel has stated that he was drafted with the idea of being the center of the Patriots' offensive line in the long term.
Regardless, all eyes will be on Wilson in 2026. It is not hyperbole to say a handful of wins may fall on his shoulders.
Fox Sports analyst Ben Arthur named Wilson as the biggest X-factor for New England in 2026.
"With Garrett Bradbury traded to the Chicago Bears, Wilson, who started 13 games at left guard as a rookie last season, is the new starting center," Arthur wrote. "His ability to communicate with quarterback Drake Maye will go a long way to determining whether the MVP runner-up stays upright in 2026. Last season, only Geno Smith, Cam Ward and Justin Herbert were sacked more times than Maye."
Adding an all-pro caliber right guard in Alijah Vera-Tucker and surrounding Wilson with veterans should help what was the least consistent part of the 2025 Patriots offense. Although, any offensive line in the league would have growing pains with a blind side made up entirely of rookie linemen.
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