On paper, the New England Patriots interior offensive line for the 2026 season seems set. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mike Onwenu will start at guard, Jared Wilson at center, and Ben Brown will serve as the primary backup. However, there are still considerable question marks.<\/p>\n
Will Vera-Tucker\u2019s body hold up given his extensive injury history? Will Wilson prove himself a viable option at center? Is pending free agent Onwenu headed out the door after the 2026 season? What about the non-Brown depth options? Obviously, those questions cannot be answered in this year\u2019s draft. However, in light of them, he Patriots could very well decide to invest in the position both with the short and the long term in mind.<\/p>\n
If they do, projected Day 2 selection Keylan Rutledge out of Georgia Tech \u2014 the keen-eyed observer recognizing it as the alma mater of former Patriots guard Shaq Mason \u2014 is a player to watch.<\/p>\n
Position: Guard\/Interior offensive line<\/p>\n
School: Georgia Tech (Sr.)<\/p>\n
Opening day age: 23 (9\/2\/2003)<\/p>\n
Measurements<\/a>: 6\u20193 1\/2\u201d, 316 lbs, 33 1\/4\u201d arm length, 10\u201d hand size, 5.05s 40-yard dash, 7.54s 3-cone drill, 4.54s short shuttle, 32 1\/2\u201d vertical jump, 8\u20198\u201d broad jump, 27 bench press reps, 9.53 Relative Athletic Score<\/p>\n Colleges: Middle Tennessee (2022-23), Georgia Tech (2024-25)<\/p>\n Career statistics<\/a>: 48 games (43 starts) | 3,019 offensive snaps, 175 special teams snaps | 36 quarterback pressures surrendered (3 sacks, 4 hits, 29 hurries) | 16 penalties (incl. 3 declined\/offset)<\/p>\n Accolades: First-team All-American (2024, 2024), First-team All-ACC (2025, 2024), Brian Piccolo Award (2025), First-team All-CUSA (2023), CUSA All-Freshman (2022)<\/p>\n A Georgia native, Rutledge primarily lined up at tight end and defensive end during his time at Franklin County in Carnesville, GA. The three-star recruit received multiple scholarship offers toward the tail-end of his high school career, and he eventually committed to Middle Tennessee as one of a handful of FBS schools showing interest.<\/p>\n Rutledge spent two years with the Blue Raiders, starting 17 games and twice earning All-CUSA recognition. After head coach Rick Stockstill was fired, however, he decided to enter the transfer portal and returned to his home state by enrolling at Georgia Tech. Even though he missed spring practices in 2024 while still recovering from a car crash the previous December \u2014 he flipped his car multiple times while avoiding an oncoming vehicle \u2014 he eventually ended up starting all 26 games between his junior and senior campaigns.<\/p>\n Along the way, Rutledge became the Yellow Jackets\u2019 first non-specialist since the aforementioned Shaq Mason to earn first-team All-American honors. He actually did so in back-to-back years to end his college career on a high note.<\/p>\n Projected round: 2-3 | Consensus big board<\/a>: No. 60 | Patriots meeting<\/a>: Senior Bowl<\/p>\n Strengths: Rutledge is a throwback player at the guard position, who likes to get physical and just mess up whoever is in front of him. Far more often than not, that is exactly what happens. He mugs defenders with a combination of power and grit both in the run game and as a pass protector. He uses his strong upper body to simply shove defenders out of the way to clear run lanes, and also has a devastating strike when faced with defensive linemen 1-on-1; his punch allows him to redirect rushers and get them off balance but he also has the grip strength to sustain blocks.<\/p>\n He also is a very good natural athlete and efficient mover, who has both the long speed and quickness to get to the second level or work on pull and stretch blocks. He can just as easily be employed in gap and zone schemes, and brings the blue-collar mentality to put the work in regardless of role. In general, he was noted for his leadership \u2014 he was named a captain at both Middle Tennessee and Georgia \u2014 and toughness.<\/p>\n Weaknesses: Rutledge\u2019s timing and footwork tend to get messy when going up against quicker defenders, with his lower and upper body not staying in sync when asked to readjust his positioning. His feet don\u2019t always go where the rest of his body does. He also tends to lose his leverage by getting too tall, exposing his chest and giving defenders a wider area to attack. His reactionary speed on line games needs to improve as well.<\/p>\n What would be his role? Entering the NFL with extensive experience at right guard, Rutledge projects to play that same role at the next level. The question would be whether he would begin his pro career as a starter or a backup. Considering the current state of New England\u2019s interior offensive line, the second option seems more realistic. However, the longterm plan would be for him to eventually take over one of the three interior spots.<\/p>\n Does he have positional versatility? Based on his college usage, the answer would be no. While there are a few snaps at left guard, left tackle, and inline tight end on his career r\u00e9sum\u00e9, a vast majority of his action \u2014 i.e. 98.3% 0f snaps \u2014 came at the right guard position. That said, he did take some center reps at the Senior Bowl and has the functional athleticism to find success at more than one spot if that\u2019s what a team wants.<\/p>\n What is his growth potential? Rutledge already is a well put-together player at the right guard position, but he needs some more technical fine-tuning to become a trustworthy option at the next level. If he can get it and properly continue his development, he has all the makings of a multi-year starter in the NFL.<\/p>\n Why the Patriots? Even though their starting lineup for 2026 seems set, Rutledge would give the Patriots a potential replacement should Alijah Vera-Tucker continue to struggle with injuries or Mike Onwenu walk as a free agent in 2027. Adding him to the mix, frankly, would mean that one of the two would not be back next season. As for the player himself, he checks plenty of boxes in terms of size, strength, mindset, movement skills and scheme flexibility.<\/p>\n Why not the Patriots? Given their recent investments along the interior offensive line and the fact that the top four at the moment look set, the Patriots might feel no need to draft an offensive lineman with one of their first three picks in the draft. They also might be on the lookout for more versatility, particularly with Vera-Tucker\u2019s health always being a concern.<\/p>\n One-sentence verdict: Keylan Rutledge following in Shaq Mason\u2019s footsteps and joining the Patriots would make plenty of sense from the team\u2019s perspective, and give them a tone-setting future starter.<\/p>\n