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The New England Patriots have a lot of positions to address in free agency: edge, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end.
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Checking all those boxes isn’t easy, though…
If the club intends to put itself in a position to compete regularly, it’s going to have to engineer another near-perfect offseason — and that could mean filling their sudden needs on the offensive line with someone like New York Jets offensive lineman Aliyah Vera-Tucker.
Let’s take a look!
Introduction:
Aliyah Vera-Tucker
Location: intraocular lens
high: 6’5″
weight: 308 pounds
Age in 2026: 27 (June 17, 1999)
2025: not applicable
The Patriots should sign Aliyah Vera-Tucker because:
I just can’t stop thinking about how fun this would be…
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Vera-Tucker is perhaps the best example of where his greatest ability lies in availability, as he’s missed nearly as many games (42) as he’s appeared in (43) since being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft – but boy oh boy does he look that way when healthy.
Vera-Tucker has only appeared in double-digit games twice and ranked among the best at his position both times — 77.7 (11/77) in 2024; 72.5 in 2021 (19/84) — according to Pro Football Focus, so the reps you get will be quality.
The Jets seem willing to give up a player who is undoubtedly talented, so why not try to make them pay for it? That seems to be what this organization does best.
The Patriots should no Signing Aliyah Vera-Tucker because:
It’s just not worth the risk…
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New England needs a consistent guy to serve as the anchor between Will Campbell and Jared Wilson. There’s no point in bringing it on board if you can’t count on having an anchor. However, if the organization is indeed willing to take a risk, it will almost certainly require adding insurance in the form of another free agent or adding a rookie who is considered good enough to contribute immediately.
Best for:
1. New York Jets
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New England Patriots
I don’t know who wants to take the risk, but there are people who do. When he’s healthy, AVT is one of the best (and most versatile) offensive linemen in the league, which is enough to lead to belief that things will change, although there’s no sign of that yet.
More NFL: Patriots offseason preview: All the issues the team must address in 2026
