One of the Patriots' best draft picks (there were a bunch) in 2025 is center/guard Jared Wilson from Georgia. If you're a starting center for the Bulldogs, your credibility is already top shelf. However, the fact that Wilson may be able to play guard and Mike Vrabel wants all of his interior offensive linemen to be able to do just that is all for the good.
Drafting a bona fide center high in the draft was an astute move. Vrabel had released long-time center David Andrews and has since let go of his namesake, Jake Andrews, a former fourth-round pick. He signed veteran NFL starter Garrett Bradbury in free agency, but depth was still an issue for the second-most important offensive line position.
That's where Wilson steps in, being Pro Football Focus's (PFF) top-rated center and third-rated interior offensive lineman overall in the draft. The sky's the limit for Wilson in Foxborough and the NFL. And all that's all good, but there's even more to like about Wilson that Mark Daniels of masslive.com pointed out in a recent article. Let's take a look at the interesting information he provides.
Patriots rookie centerJared Wilson has been getting top-notch tutoring from a Mike Vrabel favorite
Wilson has been tutored by a center who played under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. That would be former NFL center Ben Jones. He played for 11 years in the NFL, five of them as Vrabel's starting center. The pieces now appear to fit even better for Wilson in New England.
Here's what Mark Daniels of masslive.com pointed out,
"Little did many know, that Wilson made even more sense for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots. Leading up to the draft, the 21-year-old connected with former NFL center Ben Jones.
An 11-year veteran, Jones was Vrabel’s starting center in Tennessee for the last five seasons of his career. He was also a favorite of the new Patriots coach."
Wilson's top rating by PFF, his status as Georgia's center in the best conference in the nation, the SEC, and now his affiliation with a Vrabel favorite with five years of experience in the coach's scheme add up to great potential for Wilson in New England. On another note, Wilson was drafted with the third-round pick obtained from Atlanta in the Matt Judon trade.
Wilson is ready to compete for a starting role during the 2025 season
In his article, Daniels cites Wilson's comments about his interaction with Ben Jones at Georgia's practices,
“'I’ve probably talked to Ben personally - two or three times he came to practice,'” Wilson said. “'We just talked. He’d come out and watch practice. We’ve been on Zooms together right before we came up here. It’s been good hearing him talk and about what he thinks and also watching his film and how he did it.'”
Wilson was an astute pick by Vrabel, who has options for employing the former Bulldog in 2025. He can compete with Garrett Bradbury for the starting center spot, and if he wins, he plays center immediately. Alternatively, he can fight for the wide-open left guard position. Wilson's versatility is an asset both to him and the team.
An optimum scenario for Wilson, a master technician at the center position, compared here to former Dolphins' great Dwight Stevenson, may be to start at left guard in 2025. He'll be an upgrade over anyone who played there in 2024, and then, in 2025, he'll fight to start at center or continue at guard. Wherever he plays, expect great things from Wilson. He's a star in the making.