During his introductory press conference in January, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel set an expectation that his team would win in the trenches.

"Certainly, you look at the teams that are able to protect the quarterback and dictate the flow of the game offensively, making sure that up front we're sound, we're strong, whether that's through free agency or the draft, that's something that's critical," Vrabel stated.

On the one hand, it's not surprising that Vrabel, a former outside linebacker who built a bully as the head coach in Tennessee, sees the importance of winning the line of scrimmage. In his rookie season, the Patriots struggled to protect quarterback Drake Maye. Maye ranked 31st out of 36 qualified quarterbacks with an under-pressure rate of 38.3%. New England was also 31st in pass-blocking win rate and last in run-blocking win rate. By most advanced metrics, the Patriots had the worst offensive line in the NFL in 2024.

After addressing their needs along the offensive line in the offseason, the Patriots could enter the 2025 season with four new starters on the O-Line. New England signed veterans Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses, and drafted two offensive linemen in the top-100 last April who project to be starters on the left side. The lone holdover is incumbent starter Mike Onwenu at right guard, who has been the Pats best blocker in recent seasons.

It looks like the Patriots starting offensive line to begin the season will be LT Will Campbell (No. 4 overall pick), LG Jared Wilson (third-rounder), C Bradury, RG Onwenu, and RT Moses. Along with adding four new starters, the team is encouraged by the camp performance of day-three tackle Marcus Bryant, who is competing to be the top swing/backup tackle, earning the start in Friday night's preseason opener with Moses getting a veteran night off in a 48-18 victory over the Commanders at Gillette Stadium.

New coaches are also running the show for the offensive line under Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Pats have three dedicated line coaches led by veteran assistant Doug Marrone, who is overseeing top lieutenants Jason Houghtaling and Robert Kugler. Houghtaling was Vrabel's lead offensive line coach in Tennessee in 2023, so at least two of the three coaches have run the room before.

Although it's too soon to say by how much, the early returns suggest that the Patriots offensive line will be better this season, with signs that it could at least be a significantly better run-blocking unit. From a drafting perspective, hitting on three rookie offensive linemen might also be an early "win" for Vrabel, EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf and VP of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden.

With training camp coming to a close, here's a report on all three rookie linemen pushing for roles this upcoming season and possibly beyond.

LT Will Campbell (No. 4 Overall Pick)

When the team selected Campbell as the fourth overall pick, our profile highlighted the rookie's ability to set the tone of the offensive line with his nasty play demeanor.

As fans saw in Friday night's preseason opener, and the scribes have seen in camp, Campbell's physicality and effort to finish blocks are as advertised. The first-rounder can be a centerpiece in an offense's run game, with people-moving power, excellent movement skills in space and the attitude to finish blocks through the whistle. On Friday night, Campbell flashed elite run-blocking talent by pulling in front on tosses, moving the line of scrimmage on duo blocks and finishing at the second level. The youngest player on the Patriots roster has the skills for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to call run plays behind Campbell, making New England's rushing attack more dynamic.

"It's very important, not just for me, but that's something that we preach for the whole team. We want to set the tone. I wasn't the only guy who was out there finishing, flying around. I feel like that showed so we're going to keep building," Campbell told reporters after Sunday's practice.

The Patriots preseason opener allowed us to see on film what Campbell has been doing in practice. The Pats called crack toss plays on the first play of their first two possessions, both running left to Campbell's side, gaining seven and 18 yards. On the second toss play, Campbell took a defensive back for a ride 15-plus yards downfield, finishing his block on Commanders DB Noah Igbinoghene as fellow rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson showed off his explosive speed.

"Just being able to get out there, get in space, show my athleticism, is something I enjoy," Campbell said. "We have very explosive playmakers, so just getting a hat on a hat, letting them do their thing. Give them a little sliver of air and they'll make something happen."

Although he's looked fantastic as a run blocker, pass protection for Campbell and the offensive line as a whole remains a work in progress. In Friday night's game, the Pats two rookies failed to pass off a tackle-end stunt, causing pressure on Maye. From this perspective, the good news about that breakdown is it's mental, not physical. More specifically, it's about Campbell and Wilson seeing and reacting to the stunt after the snap.

"We just got to pick up the stunt. We do it every day in practice. Now, we just got to do it in the game. It's very fixable, so that's something we're working on. We obviously know that's something that can't happen," Campbell said. "I have to get better. We have to get better as a team. We left a lot of meat on the bone, no matter what really happened on the scoreboard."

The Patriots youngsters might've had a rookie moment, but Campbell was clean in pass protection besides the strip-sack. He had a few standout pass blocks, including on Maye's five-yard touchdown run on the offense's second drive. At times, Campbell has played with a short corner in practice, but he rebounded with a nice 2-0 performance in 1-on-1 drills vs. starting edge rusher Keion White in Sunday's session.

With the first-round rookie learning to play sound with his dimensions at this level, Campbell will have some growing pains. Still, his run blocking has been superb, while Campbell's pass blocking gets the job done.

C/G Jared Wilson (No. 95 Overall, Third Round)

Moving one spot to Campbell's right, third-rounder Jared Wilson's stock has skyrocketed since training camp began.

In college, Wilson's lone season as a starter was at center for the University of Georgia. The 22-year-old's future may still be at the pivot, but Wilson has rapidly ascended to being the best option at left guard. Along with his relative inexperience in college (12 starts), Wilson was also limited during OTAs and minicamp in the spring. Despite that, it took Wilson less than a week to begin pushing for first-team reps.

"Nothing's set in stone with the roster or the lineup, but certainly want to give Jared the opportunity that he's deserved, which I think is to be out there with the ones. We talked about the players that don't participate in practice but have the ability to stay engaged with the installation, and he did that through the spring," Vrabel said last week. "He wasn't able to be out there physically, but he was able to learn all the interior line positions and then really got off to a good start here in training camp."

Although the 22-year-old started at center for the Bulldogs last season, Wilson repped at both guard spots before earning a starting role at Georgia. The rookie might seem new to playing guard, but Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone didn't see it that way. Marrone also pointed out that Wilson faced Georgia's loaded defensive line for four years at practice, overlapping with first-rounders Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, and Mykel Williams, among others.

"He did start for them at center, but prior to that, he was playing both guard [spots] for them. So it was something that wasn't entirely new to him," Marrone said. "When you look at the players that they've had and the players he was practicing against, those players now have come into this league and have done very well."

As for Wilson's long-term position between center and guard, Marrone said that'll come down to the best configuration for the team in the future.

"I've been in so many situations where the position moves. People move, it's and come back to maybe what was different in college. It's whatever's best for the team. Coach Vrabel decides that, and that's where we'll go."

Along with getting the coach's attention, Wilson has impressed his teammates with how advanced he is for a first-year player. The Pats new coaching staff seems to be moving 2024 third-round pick Caedan Wallace inside to guard, a new position for Wallace who played tackle as a rookie and at Penn State. When asked who he has leaned on for advice, Wallace mentioned Wilson, which is a rare occurrence for a rookie.

"Jared is really, really [expletive] good," Wallace told reporters earlier in camp. "Jared's a great athlete, and he plays all three [positions] in the middle…I love asking him questions. He always has a different perspective from the vet guys in the room."

As a run blocker, the first thing that stands out is Wilson's athleticism, which translated to an impressive 9.84 out of 10 relative athletic score at the scouting combine. In particular, the rookie has great lateral movement skills, allowing him to reach defenders on the line of scrimmage. Wilson has also impressed in 1-on-1 pass protection. The rookie shut down Commanders veteran NT Eddie Goldman last Friday night and followed that up by going 3-0 during 1-on-1 drills in Sunday's practice with wins over defensive regulars Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga and Jeremiah Pharms. Wilson also had a practice recently where he was perfect against Williams and stud DT Christian Barmore.

During the offseason, Campbell and Wilson trained together at OL Masterminds, which is owned and operated by offensive line guru Duke Manyweather. The Pats rookies were familiar with one another before arriving in Foxborough and will now play together on Maye's blindside.

"[We] really got to know each other throughout that process, so right now it's just building that chemistry on the field. That trust, that bond, which is very exciting for both of us," Campbell said of Wilson. "It's very cool for us because we're both learning so much at the same time. Trying to just have the best chemistry possible so we can do our job at a high level."

OT Marcus Bryant (No. 220 Overall, Seventh Round)

Campbell and Wilson pushing for starting roles as rookies was expected, but the Patriots might've found a hidden gem in 6-foot-7, 320-pound tackle Marcus Bryant.

New England selected Bryant in the seventh round after he made 42 starts over five collegiate seasons, split between Southern Methodist and one year at Missouri. Bryant joined the Tigers for the 2024 season, manning the left tackle spot with Jets first-rounder Armand Membou on the right side. Bryant was a projected late-rounder heading into the draft, with pundits expecting him to compete for a roster spot as a backup.

Bryant is moving up the depth chart for the tackle-needy Patriots, culminating in earning a start at right tackle with Moses getting the night off. Moses is the entrenched starter on the right side, but Bryant could earn a role as his top backup, while the rookie's experience at left tackle in college has allowed him to play both sides in camp. On Friday night, Bryant split his 41 snaps between right (30) and left (11) tackle, allowing just one hurry on 24 pass-blocking snaps vs. Washington.

"He earned it," Vrabel said of Bryant starting vs. Washington. "Moving him over to the right, I thought he did well, especially in the joint practices. [He] earned that opportunity and continues to improve. He'll have to play both sides for us. He's a young player that is taking the coaching."

One area where the Patriots head coach said Bryant has improved is with his pad level. It's not easy to play with proper pad level as a taller tackle, and there are still times on the preseason film when Bryant got upright and put himself in vulnerable positions. That said, Bryant's play strength, especially on kick-out blocks, and foot speed are translating to the pros. Bryant logged an 8.99 out of 10 relative athletic score at Missouri's Pro Day, so he has NFL-caliber size and athleticism to stick in the league.

"[Bryant] was one of the players I remember when we first put pads on [who] had really high pad level. We talked about it, we coached it, we showed him, and I think that has improved," Vrabel continued. "That's all we ask of the players, is that each day they continue to improve and focus on improving. So, I kind of liked Marcus. He's a happy, go-lucky kid, and I think there's a lot of good football in front of him."

As the head coach said, Bryant is competing to be the top swing tackle, meaning he could play either left or right tackle in a pinch. On the left side, Campbell is expected to be a long-term starter, but the Patriots could need a starting-caliber right tackle to train behind Moses, a 34-year-old veteran. It's a bit premature to suggest that Bryant could be the heir to Moses at right tackle, but it's becoming more of a possibility than most originally thought when the Patriots drafted Bryant in April.

Regardless, all three rookies are trending upward, with the trio hopefully elevating the talent level of an offensive line room that desperately needed it.

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