There are a lot of positions the Patriots will be looking to improve this offseason, with one of the most important being offensive tackle. Although they appear to have found their next franchise star in Will Campbell, there are still a lot of question marks across the rest of the offensive line, as well as a serious lack of depth.
That has many draft analysts suggesting they select a lineman in the first round, or go after some of the top available free agents set to hit the market next week. And based on the recent chatter from the NFL Combine, that might be their only option.
Because Campbell struggled after returning from injury, especially in the Super Bowl, there was a lot of talk about replacing him in the game with Vederian Lowe, the 2024 starter. Although that didn't happen, he had come a long way for fans to openly call for him to take the field in the biggest game of all, and now he's set to hit free agency.
From what was seen from Lowe during the 2025 season, he has reportedly become a desirable target for teams in need of offensive line depth. That would be a disaster for the Patriots, who need to keep him around for at least another season.
The Patriots would face disaster if they aren't able to keep Vederian Lowe around in 2026
According to sources of MassLive's Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels, Lowe is a hot name among teams wanting a backup left tackle.
That puts even more urgency on the Patriots to get a new deal done to keep him around, which is something they reportedly want to do. The problem will be what Lowe is seeking in a new contract, especially since the interest from around the league is at an all-time high.
It's crucial that they get a deal done, though, because the offensive line dealt with a few injuries throughout last season, and not having adequate depth creates more problems for the team than just scrambling to fill the voids.
Ensuring that Drake Maye has the right group around him in Year 3 will be even more important than it was last year, and that starts with improving the offensive line. Otherwise, we'll see a disastrous year after one that far exceeded expectations with a Super Bowl run.
Left tackles are already hard to come by, so keeping productive ones around is important, and that will need to be a goal of Mike Vrabel over the next few weeks.