The third-round rookie is pushing for a roster spot.
The New England Patriots entered training camp with the same starting offensive line they already used in the spring. Will Campbell and Morgan Moses served as the left and right tackles, respectively, with Cole Strange, Garrett Bradbury and Mike Onwenu manning the three interior spots.
However, there has been quite a bit of movement along the line — especially at left guard and center. While Strange and Bradbury remain atop the depth chart at the respective positions at the moment, rookie Jared Wilson has been involved in the mix quite a bit.
Whether that will lead to a realistic push for a starting job remains to be seen — full pads will only come on on Monday — but the rookie certainly is making his presence felt. And yet, despite what increasingly looks like a competition, the third-round draft pick himself senses no tension in the room.
“It’s going great,” Wilson told reporters after Saturday’s practice at Gillette Stadium. “We ask each other questions all the time. Anytime I got a question I just go to Garrett. Garrett and Cole are very open. There’s no tension between us or anything like that. We’re just teammates at the end of the day and we want to win.”
Wilson joined the Patriots as the 95th overall selection in this year’s draft, having previously started 12 games over four seasons at the University of Georgia, all as a senior in 2024.
While all off his starts as well as a vast majority of his total college snaps have come at center compared to either guard position, his new team’s coaching staff wants to move him around as much as possible. Wilson seems to be ready for the challenge.
“Pressure is a privilege. So, any type of pressure that I get put under, it’s a privilege to have it,” he explained.
“I’m a football player. If they go out there and tell me to play receiver for two snaps, I’ll do that. It’s been good. Just trying to hone in on the playbook, study more left guard and center. Center, you’re being more vocal. Left guard, it makes you open your eyes a little bit more and you can do a little bit more because you are a center and you know the calls, you know what could happen. So, it’s been good.”