FOXBOROUGH - Drake Maye has to be a happy man.
After trading back twice, moving from #77 to #85 to #95, the Patriots added another athletic big man to the offensive line, tabbing Georgia center Jared Wilson.
"Man, it was surreal," said Wilson about getting the call from the Pats. "I'm still trying to process it all. It was a long night waiting. But God put me in the right spot to be a New England Patriot. I'm just excited for the opportunity."
Wilson has only been playing the position since 2022 but stepped in this year for the graduated Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (a 2024 Bills draft pick) and had a terrific season in the middle for the Bulldogs, earning All-SEC honors.
As I highlighted this morning in my best available options for the Pats, Wilson is the best center in this draft not named Grey Zabel, who went 18th overall to Seattle (and could play either center or guard). He clocked over 21 MPHs while running his 40 at the combine, the fastest ever recorded by a center, en route to a 4.84 time. So it should be no surprise that Wilson is excellent on the move - he played soccer growing up - and Georgia highlighted that aspect of his game.
"A young, athletic offensive lineman that has center guard flex," said Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf. "Didn't give up a sack all year this year, and his athletic ability is really what stands out about him."
"He's still a little green," said one scout. "But he has the tools to be a solid starter in this league, and maybe even a little more than that."
Wilson certainly got tested in practice on a daily basis, and he credits that with his growth as a player.
"Honestly, just the preparation at UGA those first three years where I was just sitting waiting my time and developing," he said. "I went against some great guys in Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Nakobe Dean, Devonte Wyatt. I went against elite NFL guys every single day of practice on the scout team, and It was all just leading me up for this past season to have a great season."
Wilson is 6'3", 310 pounds, and not yet 22 years old. If you cue up the tape, you'll notice that he has massive hands (11 inches), and when he digs those paws into a defender, it should be over. It isn't always, however, and that speaks to some technique issues. He's more of a leaner than someone who will overwhelm defenders with sheer strength, but again, that could be corrected, or at least improved, with more snaps at the position and more drilling.
"There's some work to do there," said an assistant who spent time with Wilson. "He has a high 'give-a-shit' meter. He's a great teammate."
The Pats signed Garrett Bradbury in free agency but gave him a moderate contract ($3.8 million guaranteed). They also have Ben Brown, who admirably filled the void created by David Andrews' injury last year, and Cole Strange also got a pair of starts at the position.
To move back from #77, the Pats got picks #85 and #146. The team then turned around and flipped #85 to KC for #95 and a future 4th
