At the start of the 2026 season, although there were concerns about the offensive line, it appeared more stacked with starting-level players than it had been just a year earlier, with the addition of Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard and Jared Wilson at center.
Left tackle Will Campbell was off to a hot start after struggling at the end of the 2025 season, and the group looked ready to become a solid unit throughout the year, only to have that completely crumble the moment Mike Onwenu suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2.
Since then, the rest of the group has taken their fair share of injuries, with Vera-Tucker on IR, backup guards missing time, and Morgan Moses not playing at his typical level so far.
They've made several lineup changes, and while it's far from perfect, the Patriots appear to have stumbled upon a hidden gem in Matt Pryor, the backup who has stepped in for Onwenu and outperformed expectations over the last four games, logging two starts.
His performance is massively under the radar, and maybe that's a good thing.
Matt Pryor is playing really well for the Patriots so far
In last week's matchup with the Dolphins, Pryor started at right guard against a pressure-bringing defense, yet he didn't allow Drake Maye to be pressured even once. Considering how the offensive line looked at the start of the season, that's impressive.
Since joining the Patriots last month, he has earned an 86.3 pass-blocking grade and is now the highest-graded pass-blocking guard in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
He will have his work cut out for him this week against a very good Packers' defense, and based on the trajectory he's on, it could be another standout day for Pryor, especially if Maye can get time to make a play and they get the win.
It will be even more crucial to see his performance continue if Moses remains inconsistent, which best describes his production this season. The seasoned veteran was once a pillar of the offensive line, but that has changed over the last two months, and Pryor will have to help ensure his struggles don't define the offense's day.
Fortunately, he is pretty experienced, too: he is 31, and the Patriots are the fifth team he's played for in his 8-year career. He was a full-time starter for the Bears just two years ago, and now he has a chance to earn that role again, especially since Onwenu is set to be a free agent next spring.
It's a big opportunity for Pryor, and the hope is that he can maintain his level of play moving forward, since Onwenu isn't expected to play again this season and plenty of tough opponents remain on the schedule.
If he can manage that, then the front office deserve a lot of praise for bringing him in.
Add us as a preferred source on Google