By JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER
Published: 09:09 EDT, 10 March 2026 | Updated: 09:09 EDT, 10 March 2026
In desperate need for help on the offensive line, the New England Patriots poached a guard from a rival team to add to the protection package for quarterback Drake Maye.
Late on the first day of free agency, New England agreed to a three-year deal with former first-round pick Alijah Vera-Tucker for up to $48million.
Vera-Tucker was picked 14th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, an AFC East rival of New England's.
Vera-Tucker would likely slot into the left guard position to provide extra support to Maye's blind side alongside last year's fourth overall pick Will Campbell.
It's a very risk/reward signing for the Patriots at a time where there are still plenty of strong offensive linemen available in free agency.
The likes of Jawaan Taylor, Braden Smith, Taylor Decker and Mekhi Becton all still remain available on the open market.
The New England Patriots have signed former Jets offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker
Vera-Tucker is a former first-round pick who's been hampered by injury misfortunes
Vera-Tucker has tremendous ability, but struggled in his time at Florham Park with injuries since being drafted out of USC.
He made the All-Rookie team his first year in the league and played at a near-Pro Bowl level when fully fit.
But his growth stagnated beginning with a torn tricep in the 2022 season.
The following year he tore his Achilles in Week 5 of the 2023 campaign and missed the rest of the season.
While he stayed fully healthy throughout 2024, he suffered a torn tricep injury again in 2025 before the season even began.
Despite suffering a major injury in three of his last four campaigns, in the one season he stayed fully healthy (2024), Vera-Tucker posted the tenth-best PFF overall grade and the fifth-best pass blocking efficiency grade among all guards who had at least 15 starts.
So it seems the Patriots are gambling that this potential will shine through and their medical and training staff can keep Vera-Tucker healthy.
If it works, it'll provide a boost to a New England offensive line that looked exposed throughout their run to Super Bowl LX.
He's expected to slot into the left guard spot alongside 2025 fourth-overall pick Will Campbell
Patriots QB Drake Maye was sacked 21 times in the playoffs - including six in Super Bowl LX
Maye was sacked the fourth-most times of any quarterback in the NFL in the regular season - just behind the Chargers' Justin Herbert and the Cardinals' Jacoby Brissett, both of whom had serious injuries to their offensive line.
Then in the playoffs, Maye was sacked an astonishing 21 times in four games - three-and-a-half times more sacks than the next-closest quarterback.
That included five sacks in the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos and six sacks in the Super Bowl against the vaunted Seahawks defense.
It's unclear if New England will look to add more offensive linemen, but right tackle could be a spot to look considering Morgan Moses is about to enter his age 35 season.
New England Patriots