The New England Patriots spent the offseason reshaping an offensive line that was beaten up badly when it mattered most. Drake Maye was sacked 21 times over four postseason games, including six in the Super Bowl, and only Joe Burrow and Roger Staubach took more punishment in February.
That ugly finish didn’t stop New England from making real changes. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses are still in place at tackle, but the Patriots brought in Alijah Vera-Tucker to start at left guard and moved Jared Wilson to center. Mike Onwenu is back as the starting right guard after taking a pay cut, and Caleb Lomu was taken in the first round as the eventual successor to Moses.
Wilson’s shift to center could end up being one of the more important moves on the line. He finished first among centers in Next Gen Stats’ production, athleticism, and overall scores coming out of the draft, and after getting NFL reps at a new spot as a rookie, a jump in Year 2 wouldn’t be a shock.
To make room for that development, the Patriots traded 2025 starter Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears. Bradbury didn’t allow a sack during the regular season, so at first glance the move looked like it might leave Chicago in a bind. But Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton sees a rough road ahead for him anyway.
The Bears’ situation changed fast when Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman retired. A week after that announcement, Chicago moved quickly and likely paid a premium, sending a fifth-round pick to New England for Bradbury.
Then came the 2026 NFL Draft, where the Bears added Iowa center Logan Jones in the second round after his All-American season. Moton believes Bradbury could lose his job to Jones, though the bigger issue may be whether Bradbury gets a real runway at all.
Recent draft history doesn’t exactly help his case. The last five centers taken in the top 64 picks and who have already played NFL snaps - Graham Barton, Zach Frazier, Joe Tippman, John Michael Schmitz, and Juice Scruggs - all logged meaningful playing time as rookies, with three opening as Day 1 starters at center. Tippman began at guard before moving inside later in the year, while Scruggs played guard even though he was listed as a center during the pre-draft process.
And in Chicago, the path is narrow. Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson are set at guard, and Jones has only played center. That leaves Bradbury fighting for a job in camp, with the recent trend at the position suggesting his hold on the starting role may not last long, even if he wins it to begin with.
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Iton already has some familiarity with the Patriots after spending time with the team in preseason action last summer, and he now gets another chance to make his case for a job. For a club trying to sort out the back end of the defensive tackle rotation, the move adds an experienced camp option right as the real roster battles begin. [Read more 🡒]
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Jennings does not have much NFL experience, but he has given himself a path with what he can offer away from the ball. His special-teams work has stood out, and his blocking and possible return work could matter as the roster gets trimmed and the staff looks for players who can help in multiple ways. He also found the end zone during the 2025 season, and the next stretch of practices may go a long way toward showing whether he can turn that into a real spot on the team. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Battles Could Decide How Well Drake Maye Survives 2026
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There is a similar feel in the slot, where DeMario Douglas enters camp as the front-runner but cannot coast with second-year receiver Efton Chism, III pressing for a bigger role. For an offense trying to give Maye cleaner answers and fewer hurried decisions, these are not small camp competitions. They are the kinds of battles that can determine whether the Patriots spend the fall protecting their quarterback or asking him to survive too many snaps on his own. [Read more 🡒]