The New England Patriots are counting on internal development from their 2025 draft class to sustain success, and center Jared Wilson is poised for a significant step forward in year two.
The New England Patriots are set to enter the 2026 season with a host of new arrivals that are sure to steal headlines, but the catalysts for their resounding success in 2025 were significant contributions from first-year players.
The blueprint for sustaining that success year-over-year in the NFL is internal development — and there is perhaps no greater leap that a player will make in their career than from their freshman to sophomore seasons.
During a rookie’s introductory offseason, most of their time is spent cycling through an extensive interview process: the Senior Bowl, the Shrine Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, Top 30 Visits, virtual meetings, and the NFL Draft all precede the work that’s done on the field to prepare for the rigors of their first NFL season.
After draft night, rookies then enter an orientation period with their new clubs with rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp before prepping for training camp and the preseason.
For New England, they identified and developed multiple starters in the 2025 NFL Draft — from the fourth overall pick to the sixth and seventh rounds, and even had three undrafted rookie free agents stick around with the team through the entirety of their 21-game campaign and into the offseason.
Now, the real work begins. How will those freshman flashes evolve into consistent contributions?
In this series, we’ll be highlighting our “Year Two Leap Candidates” for the New England Patriots in 2026. And it’s only fitting that we start in the trenches.
Year Two Leap Candidate: C Jared Wilson
Round 3, No. 95 Overall in 2025 NFL Draft
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots guard Jared Wilson (58) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesJared Wilson experienced highs and lows throughout his rookie season as the starting left guard for the Patriots.
Originally drafted as a center coming out of Georgia, Wilson transitioned to guard and manned the left side of New England’s offensive line next to fellow first-year starter Will Campbell. A move that was designed by the coaching staff to ensure the Patriots could field their best five offensive linemen together, Wilson showed flashes of what made him a highly-rated prospect, but struggled to find consistency through the early portion of 2025.
Prior to his position switch, Wilson had only taken 93 collegiate snaps at guard. Last season, he totaled 1,048 snaps in that role including the postseason — and missed four games due to injury.
The results were a mixed bag. Wilson finished the year with a 52.2 overall PFF grade, which was the eighth-worst among qualifiers in the NFL, but saved his best football for when it mattered most — and when his best was needed. From Week 11 through the Super Bowl, Wilson registered a 73.6 pass-blocking grade (per PFF).
Wilson’s jump in pass blocking efficiency almost directly coincided with Campbell’s MCL tear in Week 12 at the Cincinnati Bengals and continued through the playoffs. In five of his final seven games of the season, Wilson earned at least a 70.0 pass blocking grade and eclipsed the 80.0 mark twice (84.5 grade in Week 11 vs. the New York Jets and 82.0 grade in Week 15 vs. the Buffalo Bills).
Moving back to center for 2026, Wilson will be put in a much better position to build upon the progression he showed deep into 2025.
At 6’3”, 310 lbs., Wilson entered the league as a smaller interior offensive lineman with elite athleticism — scoring a 9.98 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10 that ranked 2nd of 622 center prospects from 1987 through 2025.
Playing at center will allow Wilson the opportunity to play uncovered and get out in space as a lead blocker in the second level on pulls, screens, and even as a zone blocker if New England is looking to implement more of that. He'll be given more space to showcase his movement skills — and whatever deficiencies he still needs to work through will likely be masked by the reinforcements that were brought into the room around him.
In 2025, Wilson and Campbell became the first pair of rookie offensive linemen to start next to each other in the Super Bowl — and the Seattle Seahawks were able to exploit their inexperience with an exotic pressure package designed to change the assignments of blockers from their pre-snap to post-snap reads.
Now, Wilson will be flanked on both sides by Pro Bowlers at guard, with Mike Onwenu on his right and Alijah Vera-Tucker on his left. That will be to his benefit, and to Campbell’s, as the group’s communication on games, stunts, and blitzes from the defensive front will be improved across the board.
PFF also believes in Wilson’s growth at center. Even with a wide range of grades last season, New England’s new center was selected to PFF’s All-Breakout Team ahead of the 2026 season. And with good reason.
While his rookie season may have gotten off to a less-than-ideal start, context matters for Wilson — who’s already shown vast improvement and will be in a much better situation to continue that moving forward. He continued to cross-train at center during the season and suited up at guard for game days, but will now be able to devote his full attention back to his natural position… one that’s a much better fit for his athletic profile and play style.
Looking Ahead
A position switch and reinforcements around Wilson will put him in the best possible scenario to build upon the improvement he showed late in 2025 at guard. At center, his athleticism will be at the forefront — providing him with the opportunity to showcase the skills that had him ranked as a consensus top-50 prospect just one year ago, and the development he’s undergone as a professional in the months since.
How well do you think Wilson will adjust to his new role at center? Let us know in the comments section below.
Next, we’ll be flipping sides of the ball to examine an impact player in New England’s secondary.
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