Patriots' new Head Coach Mike Vrabel had a lot of work to do on his 2025 roster after signing on in January. Vrabel knew that he had the most important asset on hand in quarterback Drake Maye, as he had a stellar rookie season, the lack of an NFL-caliber supporting cast notwithstanding.
After having been given no first-team reps at all in the preseason and the first few games, Maye finally stepped in to start, and the offense benefited from it. With a porous offensive line and shallow receiving corps, he still managed to rack up a completion percentage of 66 percent. That was a fantastic achievement in light of what he had around him.
Vrabel knew he had to add a massive infusion of new talent if he was to give Maye the accompaniment he needed. He did just that, adding four new receivers, an explosive running back in TreVeyon Henderson, and a lot of new talent to the most critical component after Maye, the offensive line.
Drake Maye has a refashioned and far more talented offensive line
In the offseason, Mike Vrabel added no fewer than a half dozen new offensive linemen to that weak unit. He first signed three free agents, only two of whom remain in right tackle, Morgan Moses, and center, Garrett Bradbury. Both will likely start. In addition, he used three of his draft picks, including two premium picks on the O-line. He also brought in two undrafted free agents.
The biggest prize was the Patriots' first-round pick, and the fourth overall selection in the draft, left tackle Will Campbell of LSU. He then drafted underrated center/guard Jared Wilson from Georgia in the third round. And with a seventh-round pick, he drafted another left tackle, Marcus Bryant from Missouri. It was a clear statement that the shoddy 2024 O-line was in for a massive overhaul.
Yet, regardless of the extent of that investment, Vrabel is aware that rookie linemen need time to settle into the NFL. While all three of his draftees were prepared well in the best college football proving ground, the SEC, the talent of NFL defensive linemen and the edges they have to block are on another level. It will take some time to acclimatize to the upgrade in talent they'll face.
Expect some growing pains from the Patriots' young offensive linemen
While expectations were high for the top two rookie offensive linemen, Campbell and Wilson, they are still rookies. They'll need games under their belt to excel in the NFL. The micro-analyzing and overly critical Boston media types have a field day when any of these rookies have a day that doesn't meet the unrealistic expectations they place on these young players.
If Will Campbell has a poor day in practice against a top NFL edge rusher, as he did against Minnesota in a joint practice, red flags are raised high to doubt his ability to play left tackle in the NFL. The same will go for any rookie. What's missing in these analyses is realism. These are players who've never played a down in an NFL game, and few downs even in a preseason game up to now. Expectations of perfection are implausible and serve only one purpose: headline-grabbing.
Since even veteran NFL offensive linemen get beaten by top-shelf NFL edge players, why is it a shock at all to see rookies with no experience have similar problems? Fortunately, however, Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels understand this and can mitigate the damage early on for these young linemen by their offensive strategy and play-calling.
Early 2025 games should lean heavily on the run and take the pressure off both Campbell and Wilson, both of whom will likely start on the left side. The run game with explosive running back Henderson will be a threat from the outset. Both Campbell and Wilson will be able to gain valuable experience while grinding out yardage on the ground. Wilson is a solid run-blocker, while Campbell will be one of the NFL's best run-blocking offensive linemen in short order. He's that good.
Additionally, emphasizing the run early on will set up play-action. The threat of a big gainer on the ground will make play-action more effective from the outset and provide additional time for Maye to pass, while his young O-linemen gain know-how. Strategy will help overcome adversity.
It will take time for both Campbell and Wilson (and Bryant, if he steps in as a starter) to settle into the NFL with its heightened level of competition. It's to be expected. Yet, since these are talented linemen, after a few games, expect them to step up and elevate their play. Then, Maye and his entire offense will roll.