The New England Patriots went into this season with one clear mission: protect their future franchise quarterback, Drake Maye. And they didn’t just tinker with the offensive line - they tore it down and rebuilt it from the studs up.
At the heart of that overhaul was the selection of Will Campbell at No. 4 overall, a move that signaled just how serious the Patriots were about securing Maye’s blindside for years to come. On the right side, they added veteran Morgan Moses, a steady presence tasked with anchoring the edge. Mike Onwenu held down the right guard spot, while third-round rookie Jared Wilson impressed enough in camp to beat out Ben Brown for the starting job at left guard.
But while those big moves grabbed the headlines, it’s one of the quieter additions that’s quietly become a cornerstone of this reshaped unit: center Garrett Bradbury.
Bradbury, the former first-round pick out of N.C. State, spent the first chapter of his NFL career in Minnesota, where he started consistently but never quite turned into the star the Vikings hoped for. After being released in March, he landed in New England - a signing that, at the time, felt more like a depth move than a foundational piece.
Fast forward to December, and Bradbury is not only starting - he’s thriving. He hasn’t allowed a sack all season.
He hasn’t been flagged once. And according to Pro Football Focus, his pass-blocking grade is the second-best of his career.
In a league where interior pressure can wreck a young quarterback’s development, Bradbury has been a stabilizing force in the middle of the Patriots’ line.
And it’s not just the numbers that tell the story - it’s the way his teammates talk about him.
Vederian Lowe, now starting at left tackle after Will Campbell went down with an injury, didn’t hold back when asked about Bradbury’s impact.
“He’s one of the smartest football players I’ve ever met… He’s so great at getting the entire O-line on the same page… I have so much confidence when Garrett’s the one out there running the show for the O-line.”
That’s high praise coming from Lowe, who knows Bradbury well. The two overlapped in Minnesota before Lowe was traded to New England after his rookie year. Now reunited, they’re helping hold together a line that’s giving Drake Maye the kind of protection that can change a quarterback’s career trajectory.
Just look at the numbers: Maye ranked 28th in time to throw last season. This year?
He’s up to eighth. That’s not just improvement - that’s a leap.
And it’s no coincidence that it’s happening behind a line with four new starters and a center who’s playing some of the best football of his career.
Still, Bradbury’s future in New England isn’t guaranteed. He’s been mentioned in early offseason cap casualty discussions, with the team potentially saving $4.7 million of his $5.9 million cap hit if they decide to move on. That would open the door for Jared Wilson to shift to his more natural position at center and force the Patriots to find a new solution at left guard.
But that’s a conversation for another day. Right now, Bradbury is doing exactly what the Patriots need him to do - anchoring the middle, keeping Maye upright, and earning the trust of the locker room.
For a team that’s trying to build something sustainable around its young quarterback, those traits matter just as much as the stat sheet. And in a season full of high-profile moves, Garrett Bradbury might just be one of the Patriots’ most valuable under-the-radar additions.