Even though the New England Patriots’ offensive line made drastic improvements in 2025 from changes under Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach, the unit had its drawbacks en route to a Super Bowl appearance
Against the Seattle Seahawks, New England’s offensive front struggled to prevent its opponent’s four-man pass rush from reaching quarterback Drake Maye. So, the franchise invested even more resources into the position this offseason.
In the next edition of our Patriots training camp preview series,
we’ll take a look at New England’s offensive line corps in its entirety and discuss the biggest takeaways heading into the summer practices. Veterans will report to the facility on July 24.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Depth chart
Starters: LT Will Campbell (22)*, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker (27)*, C Jared Wilson (23)*, RG Mike Onwenu (28)*, RT Morgan Moses (35)* | Backup OTs: Caleb Lomu (21/R)*, Marcus Bryant (24)*, Dametrious Crownover (24/R)*, James Hudson III (27), Sebastian Gutierrez (27), Lorenz Metz (29) | Backup IOL: Ben Brown (28)*, Andrew Rupcich (27), Caedan Wallace (26), Mehki Butler (25), Jacob Rizy (24/R), JonDarius Morgan (23/R)
Alijah Vera-Tucker was the lone addition to the starting unit. The former New York Jet slots in at left guard, sliding 2025 third-round pick Jared Wilson back to center after the Garrett Bradbury trade to the Chicago Bears. Wilson played center in college at Georgia.
Lining up to the left of Vera-Tucker is Will Campbell, who is also entering his second season in the NFL. And flipping over to the right side of the formation, the veteran tandem of Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses will look to provide a steady presence once again.
Evidently, the Patriots also wanted to improve the depth at tackle, drafting Caleb Lomu in the first round and Dametrious Crownover in the sixth. Lomu spent the spring practicing as the team’s swing tackle and took reps at both guard and tackle spots.
Both the Utah product and Crownover are joined by 6-foot-7, 320-pound Marcus Bryant as the leading candidates to earn backup jobs. James Hudson III, who was signed to a one-year deal after one season with the New York Giants, projects as the next man up.
On the interior, Ben Brown, who was signed to a two-year contract extension near the end of the 2025 regular season, continues to be the primary center and guard substitute. Former Tennessee Titans guard Andrew Rupcich and 2024 third-round pick under Jerod Mayo, Caedan Wallace, were the two second-team guards during the spring sessions.
Rupcich even repped as the starting left guard during OTAs while Vera-Tucker rehabbed from a season-ending torn triceps.
Filling out the rest of the depth chart between both tackle and guard are journeyman Sebastian Gutierrez, international tackle Lorenz Metz, 2025 undrafted free agent Mehki Butler and current UDFAs Jacob Rizy and JonDarius Morgan. The coaching staff will eye this group throughout training camp in search of practice squad and mid-season elevation candidates.
Key question: How much will the 2025 rookies progress for 2026?
Revisiting last season, Campbell received heavy criticism among NFL media and on social media for his postseason struggles after returning from an MCL tear in his knee. The 22-year-old allowed 29 pressures — a 26.4% pressure rate — in the Super Bowl.
But before the injury, Campbell was a largely stable presence on Maye’s blind side, logging a 76.1 pass-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus. He said earlier this offseason that he underwent an aggressive physical therapy routine, rehabbing five days a week.
As for Wilson, he struggled with snapping to Maye during the summer, and with Bradbury already at center, Vrabel and Co. decided to transition Wilson to left guard, where he won the starting job.
Wilson was decent in pass protection and very disciplined as a rookie, only recording three penalties. However, he faced issues moving defensive linemen in the run game, totaling a lackluster 42.8 run-blocking grade (PFF). Nonetheless, his 6-foot-3, 310-pound frame is considered undersized for a left guard, so switching back to center — where his agility and quick feet are better suited — will be a more natural fit for Wilson.
Furthermore, his long-term health over the course of 2026 is important to monitor; two ankle sprains and a concussion sidelined Wilson for four contests last season.
The potential upside of the offensive line heavily relies on how far those two progress. New England will get a clearer picture of each lineman’s health and state of development when the pads come on in training camp.
X-Factor: Alijah Vera-Tucker
Partly because of Wilson’s struggles in the run game, the Patriots needed a bigger body with prominent play strength at left guard, and that’s exactly what Alijah Vera-Tucker provides with his power and size (6-foot-4, 308 pounds).
Greater push and movement at the point of attack could exceptionally uplift a rushing game that ranked No. 17 in the league with a -0.03 under expected rushing EPA.
Vera-Tucker also significantly upgrades the line’s pass protection, with his veteran presence and size alongside Will Campbell supplying more stability on the left side. The pairing of Campbell and Wilson continuously found difficulty picking up stunts and other more complex pass-rush concepts in 2025.
The question with Vera-Tucker is whether he can remain healthy next season after suffering three season-ending injuries (two triceps tears and a torn Achilles) throughout his five-year career. If he can, he’ll be an “x-factor” for the offensive line and New England’s ground attack.
