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Where did Patriots starting guards land in latest NFL guard rankings?
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- Where did Patriots starting guards land in latest NFL guard rankings?
The New England Patriots have quite the duo at offensive guard heading into next season.
The Patriots signed star veteran guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency to play opposite starting right guard Mike Onwenu in 2026. Both are expected to help the Patriots contend for the Super Bowl this season with great blocking in the interior.
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Pro Football Focus ranked Onwenu No. 9 overall and Vera-Tucker No. 20 overall in their offensive guard rankings ahead of the 2026 NFL season, first highlighting Onwenu's prowess at the position.
"Playing a single position for the first time since 2022, he once again proved his value to the Patriots," PFF's Dalton Wasserman said. "Including the postseason, Onwenu led all offensive linemen with 1,344 snaps played in 2025, and his 77.1 PFF grade ranked ninth among qualified guards. He was also one of just six qualified guards to earn a 72.0-plus PFF grade both as a run blocker and in pass protection."
Onwenu helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl at the end of last season. He allowed only two sacks and 21 total pressures on the year and was among the notable underrated players in the league.
Vera-Tucker did miss all of the 2025 season due to injury, but he was still good enough to earn placement among the top 32 players at the position.
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"Vera-Tucker has shown he can play at a top-15 level — if not higher — when healthy," Wasserman wrote. "…If Vera-Tucker can stay healthy and return to that level as New England 's left guard this season, he could transform the Patriots' offensive line."
Vera-Tucker is regarded highly at the position in the league at a broad scale. His play in prior seasons suggests that he is capable of being a high impact player in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Where did Patriots starting guards land in latest NFL guard rankings?
