The New York Jets will have to fend off some stern challenges from the New England Patriots throughout the 2025 season, as the new front office has made some serious strides in the right direction after some of the worst seasons in franchise history during the last few years.
While New England did spend a ton of time wondering how to best improve the offensive line around emerging franchise quarterback Drake Maye, those close to the team seem to have some doubts about the immediate results this unit is going to provide in the 2025 season.
Chad Graff of The Athletic wonders if the Patriots' new-look offensive line is improved enough to protect Maye with any degree of consistency or excellence. Considering how terrible they were last year, it seems unlikely that New England found the perfect starting five in one fell swoop.
Patriots beat writer questions if Jets rival's offensive line was improved enough
The Patriots did well to land a much-hyped first-round pick in LSU left tackle Will Campbell at No. 4 overall. However, concerns about his overall arm length left many pre-draft evaluators wondering if playing him at tackle instead of kicking him inside to guard was a mistake.
Left guard Cole Strange has been a huge disappointment after he was wildly overdrafted in the first round during the 2022 NFL Draft. Center Garrett Bradbury, who is replaced the departed David Andrews, was one of the biggest public enemies in the state of Minnesota during his Vikings tenure.
The right side of the line is much more robust. Right guard Mike Onwenu is a solid starter, and reliable right tackle Morgan Moses proved enough with the Jets to earn a three-year contract. However, any line with Moses as the clear second-best starter is far from above-average.
The Jets, meanwhile, have constructed a line that features four Top 50 picks, including back-to-back first-rounders in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou. All five Jets starters not only project to be average to above-average in 2025, but only left guard John Simpson is not on a rookie contract.
The Patriots may have landed on a quality quarterback in Maye, but if they are unable to provide him with any protection, they won't be able to get the most out of him in the first year of the Vrabel-McDaniels regime. The Jets, meanwhile, have a wall up front compared to their hated rivals.