Patriots draft profile: Jeremiah Wright resembles Mike Onwenu at guard

WACO, TX - AUGUST 29: Offensive Lineman Jeremiah Wright #77 of the Auburn Tigers in a three point stance during the college football game between Baylor Bears and Auburn Tigers on August, 29, 2025, at McLane Stadium in Waco, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The New England Patriots have spent this offseason rearranging the interior of their offensive line.

Those changes included trading veteran Garrett Bradbury to allow Jared Wilson to move back to his natural center position, and then signing Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year deal in free agency to play left guard. Even with Ben Brown under contract as a top reserve, adding depth to the position may still be in the cards due to Vera-Tucker’s injury history and with Mike Onwenu entering the final year of his contract.

With a bevy of current selections on Day 3 of the draft, it is expected that the Patriots add offensive line depth with one of them. That’s where Auburn’s Jeremiah Wright comes in.

Hard facts

Name: Jeremiah Wright

Position: Offensive guard

School: Auburn (RS Sr.)

Opening day age: 25 (9/5/2001)

Measurements: 6’5 1/8”, 331 lbs, 33 8/8” arm length, 83 1/8” wingspan, 10” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Colleges: Auburn (2020-25)

Career statistics: 47 games (25 starts) | 2,040 offensive snaps, 235 special teams snaps | 42 quarterback pressures surrendered (9 sacks, 3 hits, 42 hurries) | 11 penalties (incl. 2 declined/offset)

A two-way starter along the offensive and defensive lines in high school — where he also lettered in baseball and track — Wright commuted to Auburn and began his career on the defensive line in 2020. After tearing his ACL in the spring of 2021, Wright made the jump back to offense heading into 2022 and appeared in 23 games (one start) over the next two seasons.

Named the team’s starting right guard in 2024, Wright went on to start all 12 games for the Tigers before taking advantage of his extra year of eligibility granted for the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for a sixth season in 2025. Wright then entered the NFL Draft and accepted his invite to the Senior Bowl.

Draft profile

Projected round: 4-6 | Consensus big board: No. 164 | Patriots meeting: 30 visit

Strengths: Wright is a big guard at 6-foot-5, 331 pounds who plays with plenty of power and play strength to end pass rushers and bulldoze people in the run game. He plays with a big-time mean streak as well, often playing through the whistle and looking to put defenders on their back side. Wright was reliable over the last two seasons starting every game for the Tigers and was a favorite of the team’s staff.

Weaknesses: Playing at his size, Wright is just an average athlete that leave him susceptible to more athletic inside rushers and loopers up front. He did no athletic testing in the pre-draft process. Wright must continue to get better with his hands and will be a 25-year-old rookie as he was a sixth-year senior last year.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? With Vera-Tucker, Wilson, and Onwenu seemingly locked into starting jobs along the interior — and with Ben Brown as the top backup — any addition Day 3 would have the opportunity to develop behind the scenes in their first season. If the team looks to save money by moving off of Onwenu’s contract, which currently has no guaranteed money remaining, the role would become more prominent.

Does he have positional versatility? Despite playing defensive line and offensive tackle early in his football career, Wright’s frame is suited for the guard position. He was primarily a right guard during his two starting seasons at Auburn, but did log over 300 snaps on the left side as well.

What is his growth potential? As a 25-year old rookie, Wright’s ceiling will be somewhat capped moving forward. But, there is still room to grow as he is relatively new to the guard position after starting his collegiate career on the defensive line. He has the frame and strength to develop into a starting caliber guard, especially in a gap scheme.

Why the Patriots? While the starting interior is currently set up front, future uncertainties about Vera-Tucker and Onwenu would make drafting a late-round guard a logical choice to keep the pipeline fresh. Wright is someone with a skillset to potentially take over a starting role in future years. The team hosted him on a 30 visit.

Why not the Patriots? New England might simply prefer someone younger and with more athleticism to work with moving forward. And the team may also have plans to keep Onwenu around beyond this season which would lower the need for a guard.

One-sentence verdict: A player who has comparisons to Mike Onwenu coming out school, Wright is logical Day 3 fit to potentially succeed Onwenu in New England.

For more information about Jeremiah Wright and the rest of this year’s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide.

Also, what do you think about Wright as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.