For years, a segment of Patriots Nation has been banging the drum about the sorry state of their offensive line and the little Bill Belichick has done to alleviate the situation. Last season, under new management, some attention was paid (though not signing, drafting, or having a left tackle were season-ending gaffes), but the players flopped. Then, in came Mike Vrabel.
The entire Patriots' dynamic changed when owner Robert Kraft got it right and hired Vrabel. Though it was a year too late, it's made all the difference. Nothing has been the same since that moment. Vrabel has revamped his terrible offensive line, and it's being recognized by some of the best analysts in the business.
One of them, Pro Football Focus (PFF), praised Vrabel's reconstruction of his dreadful O-line in no uncertain terms. That accolade will echo throughout the AFC East and the NFL. The Patriots now have an offensive line, and with Drake Maye playing behind it, good things are in the cards.
PFF cites the Patriots as one of 4 teams improving their offensive lines the most
Here's what PFF said about the Patiots' O-line offseason activities
Let's excerpt part of what PFF had to say (and suggest a full read as well). They placed the Pats with the Bears, Vikings, Commanders, and Jaguars as having the NFL's most improved offensive lines. Here are two of PFF's solid commentaries,
"Drake Maye was surrounded by one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL as a rookie, and New England was determined to improve that situation this offseason. The front office focused on the offensive line at the beginning of free agency by signing tackle Morgan Moses, center Garrett Bradbury and guard Wes Schweitzer.
The Patriots also picked up PFF’s top offensive tackle in the draft, selecting Will Campbell with the fourth-overall pick. While most of the pre-draft conversation was about the former LSU Tiger’s arm length, he held up just fine at tackle in the SEC, ranking in the 95th percentile of FBS tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets since 2022."
Mike Vrabel, an experienced professional Head Coach and personnel evaluator, was responsible for this. He's fully aware that without a top offensive line, especially a left tackle, you have no offense. Let's evaluate these paragraphs.
PFF cites Patriots addressing the O-line in free agency
PFF notes the extensive offensive line upgrades the Patriots made in free agency. They signed Morgan Moses, a rock-steady right tackle, and added a six-year starting NFL center, Garrett Bradbury, to replace David Andrews, who was released. Then he took a flyer on an off-injured but solid when he's healthy guard, Wes Schweitzer.
Moses and Bradbury are presumptive immediate starters. Schweitzer will contend for the starting left guard position with whoever remains from the 2024 guard room and maybe some rookies. It's a minimum 40 percent upgrade and possibly 60 percent in free agency alone.
The only demerit for Vrabel was not signing a free-agent left tackle, which could have altered his draft flexibility. But who knows, perhaps that was the plan since he wasted no time addressing left tackle in the draft. Let's take a look at the O-line and the draft.
PFF correctly highlights Will Campbell as the draft's key, but there is more
PFF doesn't mince words regarding praising Will Campbell, the Patriots' first-round pick, and his status among NFL tackle prospects. They had him in the top 95th percentile in the all-important pass-blocking stats of all FBS tackles since 2022. Since he toiled in the best conference in the nation, any foolishness about his having to play guard can be tossed into the waste bin.
Campbell will start at left tackle, where he belongs as befits PFF rating him as their best overall offensive lineman and tackle in its pre-draft rankings. He'll upgrade the position by 100 percent (or higher if such a percentage existed). It was an A+ pick by Vrabel, who added more talent later in the draft.
In the third round, Vrabel drafted PFF's best center and third-rated interior lineman in the draft, Georgia's Jared Wilson. Though a bit undersized, Wilson is a master technician, though he's only manned the center position for a year, and may also be tried at guard. In the draft's seventh round, Vrabel also adroitly added developmental left tackle Marcus Bryant of Missouri.
PFF aced it by placing the Patriots among the top four teams that improved their offensive lines in 2025. High offseason grades are feel-good stories that denote you've approached things correctly. But, eventually, it all comes down to how these players play. We'll begin seeing more of that soon.