How OTAs Changed the Patriots' Guard Depth Chart, And Whose Stock Is Rising

With one starter not in the lineup, some New England Patriots backups have impressed over the last few weeks.

Jul 28, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center Ben Brown (77) heads to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have a good sense of what their offensive line will look like this season. After signing Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency, and kicking Jared Wilson from guard to center, the team's starting five up front seem set in stone at this point.

Right now, Will Campbell (left tackle), Vera-Tucker (left guard), Wilson (center), Mike Onwenu (right guard) and Morgan Moses (right tackle) appear to be the group tasked with protecting Drake Maye. The team has invested plenty of resources into the tackle position, but the guard spot is pretty thin at this point.

Is it cause for concern heading into mandatory minicamp next week? On paper, yes. But there's been a few names that keep popping up at OTAs that should make the Patriots' immediate need for guards go down.

One of those names shouldn't come as much of a surprise to Patriots fans. Ben Brown, the center/guard who has become a solid backup for the team since joining the roster in 2024, remains a core part of the offensive line room.

During the first open OTA practice last week, he worked as the top center backup. This week, he got a promotion to the starting left guard spot, running with the top offensive unit. Is he someone that could earn a starting spot out of camp? Likely not.

New England Patriots offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker speaking to the media following voluntary offseason workouts. | Ethan Hurwitz / Patriots On SI

The reason why we are seeing some backups slide into the starting role is because of Vera-Tucker's injury history. The former New York Jets first rounder has dealt with a barrage of injuries since being drafted in 2021, and is working his way back from a season-ending triceps injury a season ago.

"I'm definitely on track. Feeling great," Vera-Tucker said last month about where he is in his recovery. "Shout out to the training staff here, man, (they're) doing a great job with me. We're working together. Communication is key in recovering from injury. So everything's going well and we're on track."

In both of New England's open sessions, Vera-Tucker warmed up and stretched with the team before relegating to the sideline to watch the rest of the practice.

We knew that Brown was going to make the roster. Out of any interior backups the Patriots have, he was the most experienced and has already earned the trust of the coaching staff. One player who flies relatively under the radar has popped up and made a strong case to make the team this fall.

Andrew Rupcich Turning Heads Two Practices In

New England Patriots guard Andrew Rupcich at the team's community day earlier this month. | Ethan Hurwitz / Patriots On SI

Rupcich -- who spent time with the Tennessee Titans before signing with the Patriots practice squad last season -- was clumped into a large group of backup linemen that entered the year as nothing more than camp bodies. That is until the first few OTA sessions, where Rupcich was surprisingly slotted in as the starting left guard.

There's going to be competition along the offensive line this summer, and the former Culver-Stockton star has squarely entered himself into those conversations.

"We played 10 linemen last year," head coach Mike Vrabel said last week. "We're going to have to have five good ones that can protect Drake, as well as a swing tackle. We're going to have to have somebody that goes inside, and then we're going to have to have somebody that pulls it as the backup center."

He was the inverse of what Brown did -- he practiced as the No. 1 left guard last week before moving down to the No. 2 center. That's eye-opening. Rupcich has a fast track to make the team after a few seasons in NFL obsurity.

It's hard to truly judge how linemen perform when they haven't strapped on the pads yet. They haven't been able to hit the defensive linemen or try and make a pancake block. For now, all we can do is see how many reps they get and who they're lining up next to.

For both Brown and Rupcich, they have quickly jumped onto the top of the guard depth chart, and in case Vera-Tucker deals with more injuries in 2026, they may become an important part of the puzzle.

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