The New England Patriots have revolutionized their offensive line since last year. After being 28th in time to throw, Drake Maye has skyrocketed to having 2.94 seconds on average, the longest in the league. Mike Onwenu is the only starter remaining from 2024, with Will Campbell and Morgan Moses as the new bookends, while Jared Wilson and Garrett Bradbury slot in at left guard and center, respectively.
While the line's improvement has been nice to see, it's to be expected given the $36 million investment and two top-100 picks. The more impressive aspect of the line has been the improvement in depth.
The team hasn't missed a beat with Vederian Lowe sliding in at left tackle, and Ben Brown was a sound left guard in the absence of Jared Wilson. Thayer Munford has an 85.5 PFF grade through 48 snaps this year, primarily as an extra blocker and right tackle. In 32 snaps on SNF, he had an 88.4 grade.
The drastic leaps in development cannot exclusively be attributed to the players, but also to offensive line coach Doug Marrone. Marrone is among the most experienced coaches in the league, starting his NFL career in 2002 as the Jets' offensive line coach.
He eventually worked his way into becoming the head coach of the Bills, and later the Jaguars, where his Blake Bortles-led squad would make the AFC Championship. His experience has done the line a world of good, and it shows.
Doug Marrone is the unsung hero of the Patriots' coaching staff
The line's improvement has been massive, enabling the Patriots to do what they have done this season. TreVeyon Henderson is among the top rookies in OROY odds, and Maye will eclipse 4,000 yards passing. These wouldn't be possible without a strong offensive line to hold the offense together.
The line isn't perfect, but it is a massive improvement from last year. It will be very telling of Vrabel's confidence in Marrone to see what he gives him to work with this offseason. The line could still use further improvement, but all five starters are under contract next year.
It seems a given that they'll add a long-term Moses replacement, but seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant showed some promise in the preseason, and Munford was excellent against the Ravens.
Does Vrabel feel they don't need to invest as much in the line, given Marrone's ability to mold bottom-of-the-roster players? Alternatively, giving him a first-round talent, like Iowa's Gennings Dunker or Ohio State's Austin Siereveld, could pay massive dividends if developed the same way other young linemen have been.
The thought that Marcus Bryant or Thayer Munford are potentially viable right tackle options is a testament to the exceptional work Marrone has done with the line. The team's improvement with young and otherwise pedestrian players has been incredible to see, and we can only hope to see such excellent development from the unit.