After spending the fourth overall pick on left tackle Will Campbell and a third-rounder on center Jared Wilson in the 2025 draft, the Patriots are expected to further address the offensive line this year. With the start of the draft 10 days away, the Patriots are eyeing guards. They will host Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon on a “30” visit, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports. The Patriots also wanted to fly in Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis for a visit, but “time constraints” prevented it from happening, per Pauline.
With the signing of former Jet Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year, $42MM contract, the Patriots made a significant investment at guard in free agency. Vera-Tucker will play left guard if healthy. The problem is that injuries have been a frequent issue for Vera-Tucker, who has missed 42 of 85 games since going in the first round of the 2021 draft. He sat out all of 2025 as a result of a torn triceps.
Even if Vera-Tucker has better luck with health in New England, the team has a long-term question at right guard. Michael Onwenu, who also carries significant experience at tackle, has been a full-time RG starter for the past year and a half. During a second straight 17-game season in 2025, Onwenu led Patriots offensive linemen in snap share (98.9%) and finished as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-ranked guard. The six-year veteran remains locked in at his position going into 2026, but it is the last season of his contract.
Considering the high cost of quality guards in free agency, Onwenu could price himself out of New England in a year. It would make sense to have a promising replacement like Pregnon or Bisontis waiting in the wings. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks Bisontis 34th and Pregnon 57th among this year’s prospects. Bisontis is a potential first-rounder who has drawn plenty of interest leading up to the draft.
Including No. 31 in Round 1 and the 63rd overall selection in the second round, the Patriots will enter the draft with 11 picks. The reigning AFC champions may not use all of those choices, though. Rather, the team could attempt to use its haul of Day 3 picks to move up, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports. The Patriots have two fourth-rounders and four sixth-rounders, which should give them the ammo to move up if they covet a certain player.
Think any position that is thought to have quality players is on every teams ‘radar’. Harkens to the ‘best available’ stance. Guards aren’t often in the 1st round picture.
This years draft seems OT & IOL are up there with DL as positions with highly thought of draftees. Most years linemen are day 2 or 3 choices.
Yet the draft can be quirky when the bidding starts!
Does Dianna Russini play guard?
I came for the Russini jokes. So did Vrabel. Hey-O!
Bravo!!!!! Well done!!!! I have a response to that, but I’m not posting it because I might get kicked off the site, but I think most people here have a very good guess what it is, or close to it. So I’ll leave it to everyone to fill in the blanks. 😉😉😉
A 3 year contract to a player who has missed 42 of 85 games because of injury seems optimistic to the extreme. Perhaps the Patriots should ask John Hannah if he has any grandsons that play ball.
Why? They already have one playing tackle.
(I’m kidding, this is a joke, supposed to be laughable, just like the pictures of Vrabel and Diana Russini…just kidding)
I recently saw the braintrust in Walmart
They were in the men’s Deodorant aisle.
Checking out Right Guard !!
Unless Campbell gets stronger, faster and grows longer arms the Pats need a LT also.