Patriots Offseason Priorities: Fortifying the Offensive Line for Another Super Bowl Push
After a stunning turnaround season that saw the Patriots go from back-to-back 4-13 campaigns to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl berth, the bar in Foxborough has been raised-and then some. Mike Vrabel’s first year at the helm brought energy, discipline, and results, but now comes the hard part: sustaining success and finishing the job.
With over $40 million in cap space and 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots have the resources to reload and reinforce. And if they want to make another deep playoff run, one area that needs serious attention is the offensive line.
Will Campbell: The Future at Left Tackle, Growing Pains and All
Let’s start with the big man on the blind side. Will Campbell showed real promise in his rookie season.
His regular-season performance earned him a solid 72.6 grade from Pro Football Focus, with a strong 76.1 in pass protection. He allowed five sacks and 26 total pressures-not perfect, but respectable for a first-year tackle in the NFL.
But the postseason told a different story.
Campbell’s grade dipped to 48.7 overall, and his pass-blocking fell off a cliff to 34.7. He gave up four sacks and 19 pressures in just four playoff games.
Of course, context matters: he was coming off a knee injury that cost him four weeks and went up against some of the league’s most ferocious defensive fronts-Chargers, Texans, Broncos, and Seahawks. That’s a gauntlet for any lineman, let alone a rookie with a banged-up knee.
Still, Vrabel made it crystal clear at his season-ending press conference: Campbell is the left tackle. Period.
“He’s our left tackle,” Vrabel said. “He’ll get better, he’ll get stronger… We’re not moving Will to guard, to center, to tight end or anywhere else.”
So, for better or worse, the Patriots are committed to Campbell on the edge. The expectation is that with a full offseason to recover and develop, he’ll be better equipped to handle the rigors of playoff football next time around.
The Rest of the Line: Solid, But Room to Upgrade
The Patriots return the rest of their starting offensive line: Jared Wilson at left guard, Garrett Bradbury at center, Mike Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle. Ben Brown, a versatile interior backup, is also under contract. However, both swing tackles-Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford Jr.-are set to hit free agency.
The interior of the line is where things get interesting. While Campbell’s playoff struggles were glaring, Wilson was arguably the weakest link throughout the regular season.
He’s a natural center, and there’s a case to be made that the Patriots should let him and Bradbury battle it out for the starting center job this offseason. That would open the door to bringing in a veteran guard to shore up the left side.
Free Agent Options: A Deep Market at Guard
This is a good offseason to be shopping for help at guard. Veterans like Isaac Seumalo (Steelers), David Edwards (Bills), Alijah Vera-Tucker (Jets), and Joel Bitonio (Browns) are all expected to hit free agency.
Seumalo, Edwards, and Bitonio are natural left guards-exactly what the Patriots need if Wilson slides back to center. Vera-Tucker has mostly played on the right side but has experience at left guard from his rookie year.
There’s also the versatility route. Jermaine Eluemunor, who had a stint with the Patriots in 2020, is another name to watch. He can play both guard and tackle, giving New England some flexibility and insurance at multiple spots.
And then there’s Tyler Linderbaum, arguably the top offensive lineman on the market. But with both Wilson and Bradbury already in the mix at center, signing Linderbaum would create a logjam-and likely force Wilson into a full-time role at left guard, where his size could be a limiting factor.
Long-Term Planning: Draft a Tackle Early
Regardless of how the Patriots address the interior this offseason, they’d be wise to invest in another tackle in the early rounds of the draft. Morgan Moses will be 35 in March, and while he gave them 21 games this season, counting on that kind of durability again is a gamble.
Drafting a tackle now gives the Patriots a chance to develop a future starter behind Moses-and adds insurance in case Campbell’s development hits another bump or he eventually needs to move inside.
There’s no shortage of intriguing tackle prospects who could be in play in the first or second round: Houston’s Caleb Lomu, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, Clemson’s Blake Miller, Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan, and Iowa’s Gennings Dunker all bring different skill sets and upside.
Bottom Line: Don’t Leave It to Chance
The Patriots could roll the dice and hope that internal growth from Campbell and Wilson is enough to elevate the offensive line when it matters most. But that’s a risky bet when you’re trying to win a Super Bowl.
The smarter play? Be proactive.
Add a proven veteran guard. Create competition at center.
Draft a young tackle to groom for the future. Build depth.
Because if there’s one thing the Super Bowl showed, it’s that the margin for error in the trenches is razor-thin.
Vrabel has the culture. The front office has the resources. Now it’s about making the right moves to keep the Patriots’ championship window wide open.