New England Patriots
The Patriots will seemingly be on the hunt for a left guard this offseason, with Jared Wilson potentially moving to center.
Isaac Seumalo of the Steelers is widely viewed as the top guard set to become a free agent this offseason. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
March 7, 2026 | 4:36 PM
3 minutes to read
While the Patriots would surely like to make improvements to multiple positions on their roster, a clear position of need emerged on Friday.
The Patriots agreed to trade center Garrett Bradbury to the Bears, meaning the offensive line will be reshuffled in some way this offseason. The early indications seem to be that Jared Wilson, who started at left guard as a rookie for the Patriots last season, will move to center, which was his college position.
If that’s the case, the Patriots will almost certainly need to add a left guard this offseason. Outside of starting right guard Mike Onwenu, Ben Brown, Mekhi Butler, and Caedan Wallace are the only other guards on New England’s roster.
So, as the Patriots likely seek to add another interior offensive lineman this offseason, here are five possible options for them to consider.
Isaac Seumalo, G, Steelers
Most free-agent rankings have Seumalo as the best guard set to hit the open market this offseason. It’s easy to see why. The 32-year-old has arguably been one of the best left guards in football over the last couple of seasons, ranking in the top four of pass and run block win rate among interior offensive linemen in 2025. He was in the top 10 among interior offensive linemen in both stats last year.
The big questions with Seumalo, though, will be whether the Patriots want to invest a lot of money at guard and if they want to add another player older than 30 along their offensive line. Pro Football Focus projects that Seumalo will sign a one-year, $8 million deal, which seems light considering the 10 highest-paid guards are making at least $18 million per year.
David Edwards, G, Bills
Edwards hasn’t been the player that Seumalo has been over the last couple of seasons, but he’s certainly been productive. He graded out as a top-20 guard in football for the second time in his career in 2025, per PFF. He surrendered just three sacks and 27 pressures as well.
One advantage Edwards has over Seumalo is his age. He turns 29 later in March, making this the prime of his career. But that could also mean a larger contract than what Seumalo might get, with PFF projecting that he’ll sign a three-year, $35 million deal.
Joel Bitonio, G, Browns
Bitonio is arguably the most decorated guard in the league. The 34-year-old is a five-time All-Pro and made seven straight Pro Bowls from 2018-24.
Even in his 12th season, Bitonio had another strong year in 2025. He gave up just two sacks and has allowed three or fewer sacks in all but one season in his career, per PFF.
There are some retirement rumors surrounding Bitonio, so there’s a chance he might not even be available to sign this offseason. Because of that, he’d probably only sign a one-year deal as well.
But Bitonio would certainly give the left side of the Patriots’ offensive line much-needed experience after starting two rookies at left tackle and guard in 2025. Bionio also spent a season with Mike Vrabel in Cleveland, so there’s a connection there.
Elgton Jenkins, C, Packers
We don’t want this whole list to essentially be who the best available guards in free agency are, like the first three players we mentioned. So, Jenkins makes his way on here as he’s a potential cut candidate for the Packers thanks to his large $24.3 million cap hit for the 2026 season.
If the Patriots were able to acquire Jenkins, it would allow them some flexibility along the interior of the offensive line. Jenkins was primarily a left guard before moving to center this past season, playing nine games before suffering a season-ending leg fracture.
While Jenkins had a decent year at center (graded out as PFF’s seventh-best pass-blocking center this past season), left guard might be the 30-year-old’s best position. Jenkins was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Packers during the seasons he started at left guard, so acquiring him might still mean that Wilson starts at center.
Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
Looking beyond free agency and the trade market, there are a few potential interior offensive line options for the Patriots in the draft. Pregnon is probably the best interior offensive lineman prospect that they could reasonably select in the draft.
Pregnon, a projected Day 2 pick, was a first-team All-American at Oregon this past season. He was one of the top graded guards in college football this past season as well, finishing as the second-best guard in the nation per PFF. He allowed just three pressures all season long.
On top of that, Pregnon was also the top-performing guard at the combine, per Next Gen Stats. His 5.21 40 time helped him earn an elite 9.42 Relative Athletic Score.
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