FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quarterback Drake Maye walked into the first full-team drill of training camp Saturday with a lighthearted question for his new center, Jared Wilson. Maye asked, ‘You good? Just me and you, right?,’ a moment Wilson said reflected a long-running connection: Wilson initially committed to North Carolina in the same 2020 class as Maye before pivoting to Georgia.
The Patriots are counting on Wilson, a 2025 third-round pick, to move back to center after starting last season at left guard as a rookie despite primarily lining up at center in college. Wilson fills the vacancy created when veteran Garrett Bradbury was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fifth-round draft pick.
Maye praised Wilson as a ‘natural’ and ‘real smart,’ saying a center must be loud and that ‘me and you, it’s our show.’ Wilson said the two most important elements of the QB-center pairing are ‘communication and the snap,’ adding that ‘reps are everything.’ The duo acknowledged an early hiccup in practice when Maye held the cadence too long, causing the football to slip before he recovered and handed it to running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Both credited time spent with Bradbury as a foundation for their work together.
Wilson said he studied Miami Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, calling Brewer’s style ‘ferocious’ and noting that Brewer plays bigger than his size. He also expressed admiration for former Georgia and Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones as ‘tough-as-nails.’ Coach Mike Vrabel stressed the importance of the unspoken communication between quarterback and center, calling the center ‘the conduit to the rest of the offensive line’ and saying the center’s communication must be great. Vrabel said the team is looking forward to seeing Wilson’s transition and working with Maye.
The Patriots also noted veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ presence at the start of training camp while he worked with the offensive coaching staff. Hopkins is considering a career in coaching, according to Vrabel, and Maye is among those on the team who have enjoyed having him around. The team’s focus remains on building cohesion as it defends its AFC championship.
