PATRIOTS FREE AGENTS: Vederian Lowe, Thayer Munford, Yasir Durant (RFA)
NOTABLE EXTERNAL FREE AGENTS: Isaac Seumalo, David Edwards, Rasheed Walker, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jermaine Eluemunor, Joel Bitonio, Dalton Risner, Dylan Parham, Braden Smith, Ed Ingram, Wyatt Teller, Zion Johnson, Daniel Faalele, John Simpson
The Patriots offensive line rebuild was looking pretty sweet during the 2025 regular season, but a shakier playoff run makes continued tinkering necessary for New England in the trenches.
After ranking near the bottom of the league in most metrics in 2024, the Patriots went with four new starters on the offensive line in 2025, with RG Mike Onwenu as the lone holdover. New England went from one of the NFL's worst offensive lines to a respectable 12th in run-block win rate and 13th in pass-blocking win rate, while finishing 12th in Pro Football Network's O-Line impact score (32nd in 2024). Veteran RT Morgan Moses and C Garrett Bradbury were immediate upgrades at their respective positions and team culture adds. Plus, rookie LT Will Campbell and LG Jared Wilson showed signs of promise.
However, QB Drake Maye was sacked 21 times and under pressure on 38.7% of his playoff drop-backs. After opponents logged quick pressures on 13.1% of Maye's regular season pass plays, that rate rose just slightly to 13.5% in the postseason. The average time to pressure for the Patriots was also relatively the same in the regular season (2.86s) as it was in the playoffs (2.85s). Those numbers suggest that other factors were at play, such as Maye holding the ball too long and better answers against blitzes. Still, there's work to be done to fortify the offensive line long-term.
For instance, the Patriots will continue developing their recent draft picks in Campbell and Wilson, but there are some questions about where on the line that development will continue. For Campbell, head coach Mike Vrabel has already publicly stated the team isn't moving the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft inside to guard, saying, "Will is 22 years old. He's our left tackle." The glass-half-full view of Campbell's postseason struggles is that they could be directly tied to a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve for four regular-season games. Before his injury, Campbell posted a rookie-best 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade with a 5.5% pressure rate. When he returned from injury in Week 18 through the playoffs, Campbell's pass-blocking grade dropped to 39.2 and his pressure rate nearly doubled to 10.9%.
With better health, hopefully Campbell will return to his pre-injury form as a starting-caliber left tackle, while some technique and weight-room work will also help him improve. The Pats left tackle tended to struggle in his vertical sets, where his first step was backward into the pocket, creating space between him and the rusher. Rushers then used that space to convert speed-to-power, establishing first meaningful contact while walking Campbell back into his quarterback. If he can develop a stouter anchor and maybe use more angular sets to take the fight to rushers, Campbell can mask his weaknesses (length) more consistently.
As Vrabel said, the current plan is to keep Campbell at left tackle, which makes sense. However, the positional future is less certain for Wilson, in my opinion. Wilson was drafted as a center prospect out of the University of Georgia, where he played mostly at the pivot. He was the Patriots best option at left guard in his rookie season, but his lack of play strength and anchoring ability showed up at guard, while that shouldn't be as noticeable at center. The issue is that Bradbury was a solid starter at center for the Patriots in 2025, adding leadership on and off the field while holding his own as a pass-blocker (two sacks allowed).
The Patriots might need to make a tough decision on Bradbury versus Wilson at center. But the best course of action for the offensive line might be upgrading the left guard spot next to Campbell, and it's a great market to do so. By getting a more experienced, possibly stouter left guard, it could help ease some of the burden on Campbell while turning the Pats O-Line into a more physical bunch with added run-blocking ability and power, which is needed.
In free agency, top guards David Edwards (22nd among guards in PFF grade) and Isaac Seumalo (16th) both play the left side at a high level. Jets free-agent Alijah Vera-Tucker is a solid option when healthy, Browns free-agent Joel Bitonio fits the mold as well, and Raiders free-agent Dylan Parham was a McDaniels draft pick in Vegas. Given that the guard market isn't usually too expensive, the Patriots spending at the top of the free-agent market to land one of the top left guards available makes sense a year after a huge spending offseason. Edwards, in particular, has above-average length and is a solid run-blocker, making him a great fit next to Campbell. Plus, the Pats would be poaching a starter from the Bills.
There are also options in the draft in Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon and Iowa tackle-to-guard convert Gennings Dunker that are intriguing. But, from this perspective, the experience of a veteran guard is almost as important as the skill level. The Pats were the first conference champ to start two rookies on their offensive line in a Super Bowl, so adding a quality veteran starter would be the preference here, while returning Wilson to his natural position at center.
The other long-term need for the Patriots will be at right tackle with Moses entering his age-35 season. Moses was exactly what the doctor ordered for the 2025 season, staying healthy for all 21 games while ranking 24th among 84 qualified OTs in PFF grade. However, New England must start thinking about life after Moses, and although there are some free-agent options, it feels like a developmental tackle in the draft makes the most sense. That said, it's worth mentioning Rasheed Walker, Braden Smith, and Jermaine Eluemunor as younger options.
New England took a step in the right direction with its overhaul of the offensive line last offseason, and with some development, might have two long-term starters in Campbell and Wilson. However, the work is not done to protect the franchise, as Maye was hit too often in the playoffs and the run game remains a work in progress. Although they're much closer to having it figured out, some holes and long-term planning remain on the offensive line.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
