Wilson has emerged as a potential starter along New England’s offensive line.
It took Jared Wilson only five days of training camp, including just one in full pads, to earn a starting spot along the New England Patriots’ offensive line. On Tuesday, the rookie found himself as the top left guard for the first time and he seems intent not to hand that role back to Cole Strange or any other challenger.
Wilson, frankly, has impressed this camp. Starting out as the top interior backup after being limited in the spring due to injury, he regularly subbed into the top lineup at both left guard and center.
The Patriots seemed hell-bent on finding a job for Wilson, and by practice No. 6, they did. Listening to his teammates talk about him, it is no surprise this happened.
“He knows everything,” said fellow lineman Caedan Wallace after Wednesday’s practice. “Any questions that I have, since I’m a little newer at guard, I really go to him and Garrett [Bradbury]; I ask Cole a lot, too. But Jared’s, really, really f—–g good. So, I love asking him questions. He always has a different perspective than the vet guys would. …
“For a rookie, he’s just really good. The way he moves, the way he protects in the pass game, and the way he gets off the ball in the run game is admirable.”
Before joining the Patriots as the 95th overall selection in the third round of this year’s draft, Wilson spent four years at the University of Georgia. While starting opportunities were hard to come by early in his college career, the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder patiently played the waiting game and by his senior season finally got off the schneid.
Wilson ended up starting 12 games as a senior in 2024, all at the center position. Entering the NFL, however, the Patriots saw potential in him as a multi-purpose player up front.
Early in training camp, that potential turned into reality. According to head coach Mike Vrabel, his ability to pick up and process information quickly played a key role in that.
“I think that he’s a quick learner,” Vrabel explained. “He’s been able to learn two positions inside, as far as center and guard.”
“He’s smart,” added Wallace. “Coming in as a rookie knowing all three interior positions is pretty impressive.”
Wilson has been able to display all those traits despite getting a delayed start. His limitations in the spring did not allow him to challenge for a starter-level role at that particular point in the Patriots’ preparatory process.
“I would say, he was one of those players that maybe wasn’t out there as much on the field in the spring,” said Vrabel. “But he really was able to grasp it mentally and allow that to carry over when he had an opportunity to be on the field. So, he was able to show — for a young player — some of those things to be ready when he got his opportunity to be on the field.”
When his opportunity came, Wilson made the most of it. That included some fierce battles with a talented Patriots defensive line including, among others, $104 million man Milton Williams.
“He’s going to be a solid player,” the veteran defensive tackle said about his rookie teammate. “He has a good coach, he has a good player in Michael Onwenu — a good vet in his room he’s learning from. No, he’s good. He has good balance for a young player like that. The future is bright for him.”