The New England Patriots‘ offensive line underwent a head-to-toe makeover in 2025, with four out of five starting offensive linemen joining the team by way of the draft or free agency.
NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye had his blind side protected by a pair of 22-year-old trenchmen, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson.
The duo fared well for most of the regular season, but were shaky at best for much of the playoff run after each sustained a late-season injury.
For Campbell, the fourth overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, expectations were that he would be a day-one starter. But for Wilson, who was drafted with one of the last picks in the third round, fans were elated to see early-career contributions.
With the 2026 Patriots roster already on his mind, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told reporters at the NFL combine that the future is uncertain for the young left guard Wilson.
“I think there’s openness to everything with him,” Wolf said of Wilson on Tuesday. “He had never played guard before. He had good moments and bad moments, but he certainly has the physical ability to play there. He also has the intelligence and the vocal ability to play center, so I think those are conversations we’re still having.”
These remarks are very encouraging for the young interior offensive lineman. Outside of the tackle positions, center is the highest leverage position on the offensive line.
At the very least, Wolf’s comments open up flexibility for New England’s roster building this offseason. In the best-case scenario, Wolf announced a major promotion is pending for one of the Patriots’ youngest players.