Overview
- The Patriots shifted Jared Wilson from left guard to starting center this offseason after trading Garrett Bradbury and signing Alijah Vera-Tucker, a move that reopened the middle of the line.
- Independent analytics from Pro Football Focus rank Wilson near the bottom of projected NFL starting centers based on his 2025 play, citing a 52.2 season grade and struggles while playing out of position.
- Coaches, teammates and early padded practices in Foxborough have shown encouraging signs, with reports of clean snaps to Drake Maye, wins in one-on-one reps and praise for Wilson’s communication.
- Wilson says the biggest hurdle is learning the center playbook because uncertainty slows his decision making, and he has been taking technique and game-identification advice from veteran teammates such as Milton Williams.
- Wilson was a college center at Georgia and a 2025 third-round pick, so the team views him as a long-term interior piece but acknowledges that small-sample camp reps must still overcome last season’s analytics-based concerns.