The New England Patriots closed out the third round of the 2025 NFL draft at center.
Head coach Mike Vrabel’s war room turned to Georgia’s Jared Wilson at No. 95 overall on Friday night, after trading down with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s an initial glance into why and what’s ahead.
A late starter to second-team All-SEC honors
Wilson had to wait his turn at Georgia.
The former three-star recruit, who began playing football at North Carolina’s West Forsyth High School, would appear in 21 games as a reserve from 2021 through 2023. But as a redshirt junior, Wilson kicked in to center and made a dozen starts there for head coach Kirby Smart’s roster.
Second-team All-SEC honors followed for Wilson, who wound up ranked as the top center in this year’s draft class on Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board and the No. 73 prospect across all positions.
He will turn 22 in June and offers position flexibility at guard.
Fastest 40-time in Indianapolis among offensive line prospects
Soccer is in the background for Wilson. It’s in the footwork and movement skills, too.
No offensive lineman at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine ran the 40-yard dash in a faster time than his 4.84 seconds. His 10-yard split of 1.72 seconds stood in a tie that trailed only Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Additionally, his short shuttle of 4.56 seconds placed fourth in the position group.
At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Wilson added a 32-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump during his stop by Lucas Oil Stadium. The Relative Athletic Score of 9.84 slots Wilson 12th out of 673 center prospects dating back to 1987.
That elite profile aligns with the elite success rate through the one season of starting experience.
Wilson was charted by Pro Football Focus for allowing no sacks, one hit and a handful of quarterback hurries across 810 offensive snaps last fall. And to go with his 84.9 grade in pass protection, he put forth a 76.0 grade paving lanes for the run game.
From one Bulldogs center to another
With the capital acquired from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for past Pro Bowl outside linebacker Matthew Judon last August, No. 77 became No. 85 and then No. 95 through trades for additional assets on Friday night.
It became a Georgia center that, down the road and potentially out of training camp, can help succeed another at Gillette Stadium.
Super Bowl champion, team captain and franchise All-Decade selection David Andrews’ March release left an opening in the middle. The 2015 undrafted free agent’s departure also gave way to the arrival of former Minnesota Vikings first-rounder Garrett Bradbury, who is penciled in to start on a contract featuring $3.8 million fully guaranteed. The depth chart there also includes the returning Cole Strange, Ben Brown and Jake Andrews.
But the offensive line has turned to the future for rising sophomore quarterback Drake Maye this April, beginning at No. 4 with LSU left tackle Will Campbell and continuing down in Athens.
