The New England Patriots will have to make some major roster improvements this offseason, but none will be more crucial to Drake Maye's future than the decisions made along the offensive line.
The Patriots made wholesale changes to the starting five last offseason, leaving Mike Onwenu as the only holdover from the 2024 season. While the product was far better during the regular season, the unit collapsed during the playoffs. Will Campbell and Mike Onwenu are firmly locked into their respective positions at left tackle and right guard, but the rest of the line remains murky.
Morgan Moses would be a lock to start on the right side if he's in the NFL this season, but that isn't a given for the 35-year-old.
The major controversy will be at the left guard and center positions. Jared Wilson started opposite Onwenu this season, while veteran addition Garrett Bradbury started at center. Wilson played over 90% of his collegiate snaps at center and never started at any other position on the offensive line during his time with the Bulldogs.
Optimists will be hoping his subpar rookie season (25th in pressure rate among left guards) was a function of the new position rather than his ability.
Now, there's a debate about what the Patriots should do with Wilson. On one hand, sliding him to center could pay dividends: a young, ex-SEC center who's cheaper than the current starter in Bradbury. The alternative, however, would see the team move on from the former Vikings leadership and football IQ.
Should the Patriots opt for Jared Wilson over Garrett Bradbury?
It shouldn't come as a surprise that this is one of the more talked-about potential position changes for the Patriots. Mass Live's Mark Daniels recently wrote that "the Patriots haven’t approached Wilson about moving to center, but it is his preferred position."
Eliot Wolf also recently mentioned that the team admires Wilson's versatility and that he believes he does, in fact, have the frame and ability to play guard.
Onwenu is roughly 40 pounds heavier than Wilson at the opposite guard position. It would seem that, given his success this season and the tendencies of both Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel to employ power football, sliding Wilson to center, or at least adding a bigger guard, could be in the plans this offseason.
In a recent article, I listed a few different offensive line combinations the team may employ in 2026. I included three veteran guard options: Elgton Jenkins, Joel Bitonio, and Kevin Zeitler. Each of them could be solid additions to the line for the upcoming season and help in communicating with Campbell at left tackle.
One of the issues cited by some experts this past season was the inexperienced pairing on the left side of the offensive line, and adding a veteran certainly wouldn't hurt.
Adding a veteran guard would make for a true competition for the starting center role. Bradbury being the starter in '25 could give him the inside track, but Wilson's youth and potential could warrant the same conclusion.
The team's decisions in the coming weeks will be key to establishing what the starting five might look like in 2026, and more specifically, who Maye's center might be.