Patriots agree to deal with high-risk, high-reward Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker: Source

In a bit of a risky move, but one that comes with a lot of upside, the New England Patriots improved their offensive line — arguably the biggest weakness in their Super Bowl loss — by agreeing to a three-year deal with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, according to a league source.

Vera-Tucker was ranked 85th on The Athletic’s list of the top 150 free agents this year and was the ninth-ranked guard.

Vera-Tucker will turn 27 this summer. He was a first-round pick of the New York Jets out of USC in 2021, but injuries have plagued him throughout the course of his five-year NFL career. (He missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn biceps injury.)  His play when on the field has been impressive. So if Vera-Tucker can stay healthy, he would be a big boost to a Patriots offensive line that needs help.

Still, putting the injuries behind him is no easy task. Vera-Tucker has suffered a season-ending injury in three of his five NFL seasons and has played in only 43 of a possible 85 games during his pro career.

So while this move could look brilliant for the Patriots if he plays up to the potential that once made him the 14th pick in the draft, it comes with a fair amount of risk.

How he fits 

The Patriots had a clear need at left guard, and that’s exactly where Vera-Tucker will slide in. He played both left and right guard with the Jets, but the Patriots have a good sense of what their starting offensive line will look like now that Vera-Tucker is slotted in at left guard.

That said, it will be interesting to see how Vera-Tucker plays in training camp. He might be a bit rusty out of the gate after missing all of the 2025 season.

Still, the upside is what was so attractive for the Patriots. If he can stay healthy, the Patriots offensive line just got a lot better.

2026 roster impact 

Pencil this in as the Patriots’ ideal starting offensive line from left to right: Will Campbell, Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu and Morgan Moses.

That seems close to set at this point. The question now is how they build some depth. The Patriots were fortunate last season to stay relatively healthy on the offensive line. Three of their O-line starters played in every game. None missed more than four games.

That kind of luck seems unlikely to continue, especially with Vera-Tucker in the fold.

So the Pats now need to look for a high-level backup interior offensive lineman — as well as a backup offensive tackle after Vederian Lowe agreed to a deal with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

Cap update 

The Patriots still have plenty of cap space after this addition, and have one major need still to address: wide receiver.

So far in free agency, they’ve added a middle-of-the-road edge rusher, a fullback and a high-risk, high-reward left guard. We’re still waiting for the splash that could come in the form of a trade for A.J. Brown.

And the Patriots still have the cap space to make that happen.

Chad’s takeaway 

The most interesting thing to me about the Patriots’ plan at left guard was how it might affect Will Campbell. It’s why I thought the Patriots needed an established, veteran player there to help the young left tackle.

Last season, he was next to a fellow rookie in Wilson, which wasn’t ideal.

If Vera-Tucker stays healthy, he should be able to make Campbell’s life a lot easier. Plus, an offensive line generally isn’t about how great one individual on the front five is, but how bad the worst spot among the group is.

Last season, the Pats were weighed down by their left guard position. Now, they’ve taken a meaningful (if risky) step in addressing that.