The Patriots made the difficult decision to move on from a franchise cornerstone, releasing longtime center David Andrews earlier this offseason.

Andrews was a nine-year starter, an eight-time team captain, and a two-time Super Bowl champion. As one of the final holdovers from the dynasty era, the 32-year-old Andrews was coming off a significant shoulder injury that ended his 2024 season after just four games. It wasn't the ending to his Patriots career that the team or Andrews wanted, but head coach Mike Vrabel is charting a new course to get the franchise back on track.

At center, that meant drafting Georgia product Jared Wilson 95th overall in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The dynamic center prospect is now the heir apparent to Andrews at the pivot, joining veteran Garrett Bradbury as the most likely blockers to replace Andrews in the starting lineup. At only 21 years old, it's a matter of when, not if, Wilson will get his chance to cement himself as New England's starting center of the future.

Along with an impressive true junior season at Georgia, Wilson's superpower, which made him a top-100 draft selection, is his athleticism. Wilson posted an elite 9.84 relative athletic score at the scouting combine (out of 10), ranking 12th out of 673 centers since 1987. The Pats rookie's movement skills make him a difference-maker due to his ability to reach, climb, block in space, and pass protect one-on-one vs. head-up rushers.

Speaking to Patriots.com, Wilson's trainer, offensive line guru, and founder and CEO of OL Masterminds, Duke Manyweather, explained the advantages of having a highly athletic center.

"I would put him at center and let him be special. There's a level of special physical traits and qualities that he has as a center that are very intriguing and can create a mismatch and allow you to do a bunch of different things," Manyweather said. "If you look at the things Jason Kelce was able to do on the move that made that offense tick down the middle in Philadelphia, I think [Wilson is] pretty special.

"One of the things that really stands out is what he's able to do on the move.. Climbing up to the second and sometimes even the third level. When you watch games like Tennessee or South Carolina picking on corners and safeties, it's pretty special," Manyweather continued.

Manyweather admitted that comparing Wilson to Kelce was setting a high bar. However, Wilson's trainer for the scouting combine and his rookie season had another pro comparison for the Patriots third-round pick.

"Jared is very similar to Erik McCoy in New Orleans. Erik is a phenomenal athlete, but Jared is an even better athlete than Erik," Manyweather said. "If you look at some of the things that Erik McCoy is able to do on the move, or Aaron Brewer down in Miami, those are all highly athletic centers that can get out and do a lot of different things for an offense."

McCoy is a two-time Pro Bowler for the Saints who has started at center for the last six seasons in New Orleans. Certainly, the Patriots would take that kind of production from a third-round draft choice. However, one question that some scouts had about Wilson was his inexperience. The Pats rookie only started one season (12 games) in Athens, serving as a top backup in his first two seasons. Wilson earned second-team All-SEC honors in his one year as a starter, while Manyweather explained how Wilson was still battle-tested in college despite a lack of in-game reps.

"He played against so many top defenders in practice, having been a backup at all three interior positions for the years prior, so that really gave him some crucial experience," Manyweather said. "When he stepped into the starting role at Georgia, he didn't miss a beat. He improved the pivot position of center for the Georgia Bulldogs."

To Manyweather's point, Georgia has had its fair share of elite defensive line prospects roll through Athens in recent years. Wilson faced future pros Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, and 2025 first-rounders Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker on the practice field. Although it wasn't a game setting, it will prepare players for NFL-caliber competition.

"Jared is a very consistent person, which has made him a very consistent player," said Manyweather.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Wilson as a prospect, but Manyweather pointed out a few areas of improvement he's working through with Wilson in preparation for his first NFL season.

"One of the things that we really want to work on is his ability to use his off hand a little better," Manyweather said "Also, just him maintaining his posture and base when guys start to get into his chest, so just being able to stay firm, not panic, not get over your toes and be able to walk your feet under guys, that way you can anchor.

"Jared is able to reach shades, whether it's a 2i [technique] or a loose shade on him, but then he's got the power to really move the point of attack. Say, you go out of the conference, out of the division, you've got to play Dexter Lawrence. Well, you have to be able to move that big guy. Jared has the power to do that."

With the Patriots signing a veteran center in Bradbury, another question for Manyweather was whether Wilson could compete for a role at guard. The Pats will have a wide-open left guard competition in training camp, with the favorites being second-year pro Layden Robinson and former first-rounder Cole Strange. Wilson was a backup guard before switching full-time to center, so he does have the experience to compete at guard.

"He could do both," Manyweather said. "I would let Jared go be special [at center], but I think he's got the ability to compete at a guard spot as well."

Wilson's quickest path to playing time might be at left guard in the short term. However, most believe that center will be his long-term position in the pros. Regardless, the overwhelming majority are comfortable projecting Wilson into a starting role somewhere on the offensive line.

After making a tough decision on a franchise great, the Patriots are preparing to pass the baton to their third-round draft pick at the pivot position.

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