The New England Patriots have been looking for ways to improve their offensive line. They recently visited with free agent offensive tackle Jedrick Willis, according to a March 5 report by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Willis last played in 2024, playing in five games and starting four of them. He has been limited by injuries throughout the course of his career. Even still, the Patriots need help on the offensive line. He could be viewed as someone worth taking a flyer on. At the very least, the organization is doing its homework when it comes to Willis, as noted by Schultz.
Sources: Former #Browns OT Jedrick Wills, who sat out last season to fully recover from a knee injury, has been on a tour of visits with NFL teams — including the #Patriots and today with the #Lions. Visits are expected to continue into next week.
A former top-10 pick, Wills —… pic.twitter.com/6vQiDaLXni
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 5, 2026
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Willis has had a complex football career. He was drafted 10th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 NFL draft. He played in 15 games and started every single one that year. The lineman was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team for his efforts. 2022 was also notable for Willis, given that it was the only full healthy season of his career.
He suffered a knee injury in 2023, which led to season-ending surgery and a stint on injured reserve. 2024 led to him playing in only five games, as he was continuing to deal with his knee injury. Now, he is looking for a fresh start on the open market,
The talent is certainly there. Willis played right tackle for Alabama. He made 29 career starts and 28 consecutive starts to finish off his college career. The lineman immediately made an impact in his final season. He was named to the All-SEC First-Team in 2019 and was viewed as one of the top prospects in the NFL draft.
Patriots Need Additional Tackle Depth
In the meantime, the Patriots have been looking for additional offensive line help. There is potential at the tackle position as the 2025 fourth overall draft pick will Campbell is solidified at left tackle. Morgan Moses is expected to come back to the organization and fill the right tackle spot. With that being said, the team is still looking for death options. Willis could fill that depth role, and give the Patriots a veteran player on a relatively young line.
The key here for the Patriots is his injuries. Willis is a productive lineman when healthy. However, that has been his Achilles’ heel throughout the course of his career. Adding him as a low-risk, potentially high-reward depth piece could be the correct move. The team needed additional offensive linemen last season, when Campbell went down with an MCL injury in week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Willis could fill in a much-needed role.
The injuries are certainly a big point of discussion here. The Patriots may be better off avoiding an oft-injured lineman as they need healthy depth that can potentially play right away. With that being said, taking a flyer on him could yield positive results.
The Patriots have their future tackle in Campbell, and now it’s just about trying to continue stabilizing the line. A healthy Willis will be able to do that, and give them the flexibility needed at a key position.
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