The reigning AFC champion Patriots briefly opened a hole at center when they traded 2025 starter Garrett Bradbury to the Bears on March 5. They already had a homegrown replacement in mind in Jared Wilson, who will shift from left guard to the pivot, executive vice president Eliot Wolf told reporters (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald). The plan calls for free agent pickup Alijah Vera-Tucker to take Wilson’s former position.
Center is familiar territory for Wilson, who started there at Georgia in 2024. Then in his last season with the Bulldogs, Wilson earned second-team All-SEC honors. The Patriots spent a third-round pick on Wilson in the 2025 draft, but with Bradbury in place, he slid to guard.
While Wilson missed four games with knee, ankle and head injuries as a rookie, he started in all 13 when healthy. In ranking Wilson 67th among 79 qualified guards, Pro Football Focus saw room for improvement. Moving Wilson back to his college spot may yield better results in Year 2 of his pro career.
Multiple major injuries, including tears to both triceps and a torn Achilles, have kept Vera-Tucker out of 42 of 85 games since the Jets chose him 14th overall in 2021. He has missed at least 10 games in three of five seasons, including all 17 last year. Nevertheless, for the Patriots, the USC product’s vast potential outweighs his checkered injury history. In handing Vera-Tucker a three-year, $42MM deal, the club took a gamble on a blocker who has been versatile and effective when healthy.
Vera-Tucker was a full-time starter on the right side from 2022-24, during which he mostly lined up at guard. However, Vera-Tucker played his whole 16-start rookie year at left guard. He is in line to shift back there five years later in New England, where he will pair with tackle Will Campbell to protect Drake Maye‘s blind side.
After leaving New York for AFC East rival New England, Vera-Tucker said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN): “A fresh start was what I think I needed. When you have three accidents, it sucks … But I really enjoyed my time the past five years. Nothing but respect for everybody in that building, and the fans. I do hope they win a lot of games, just not against us.”
Vera-Tucker, who tore his triceps in the first week of September last year, expects to be a full go for organized team activities in May.
Duh.