Patriots free agency profile: Vederian Lowe could be surprisingly popular

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 28: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Vederian Lowe #59 of the New England Patriots in action against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Patriots defeated the Jets 42-10. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The New England Patriots overhauled their offensive line during the 2025 offseason, and Vederian Lowe was one of the victims of that process. However, despite losing the starting job he had held the previous year, he still had a solid season and is a player to keep an eye on heading into unrestricted free agency.

What will happen with him, though? Let's assess his situation to find out what the Patriots or indeed Lowe himself might have in mind.

Hard facts

Name:Vederian Lowe

Position:Offensive tackle

Jersey number:59

Opening day age:27 (4/17/1999)

Measurements:6'4 5/8", 315 lbs, 35 3/8" arm length, 10 3/8" hand size, 5.22s 40-yard dash, 7.83s 3-cone drill, 4.71s short shuttle, 25 1/2" vertical jump, 8'3" broad jump, 22 bench press reps, 5.68 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

NFL teams:Minnesota Vikings (2022), New England Patriots (2023-) | College:Illinois (2017-21)

A three-star recruit out of Auburn High School in Rockford, IL, Lowe decided to stay in his home state in college. He joined the Illini and over five years saw extensive action, tying the school record with 52 starts. Along the way, he was twice voted an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

His performance eventually allowed him to get drafted 184th overall in the sixth round of the 2022 draft by the Vikings. He saw only limited action as a rookie, appearing in four games, and was traded to New England ahead of his sophomore campaign. While initially acquired as a backup, Lowe has been used as a part-time starter in each of his three seasons with the club.

In total, he has appeared in 51 regular season and playoff games since entering the NFL with 25 as a starter. All of his starts have come with the Patriots, including a career best 13 in 2024.

2025 review

Stats:21 games (4 starts) | 318 offensive snaps (234%), 100 special teams snaps (18.2%) | 15 quarterback pressures surrendered (1 sack, 2 hits, 12 hurries) | 2 penalties

Season recap: The Patriots offensive line had all sorts of issues in 2024, but Lowe was actually one of the group's better performers overall. However, that still did not help him keep the starting left tackle job he held for most of that season: New England's new regime had its sights set on an upgrade, and when it selected Will Campbell with the fourth overall selection in the draft, Lowe's fate was sealed.

That said, he still managed to earn a spot on the roster as a backup option behind the rookie. And while that meant limited opportunities for most of the year, he did his job when called upon.

Campbell, after all, suffered an MCL injury in the third quarter of the Patriots' Week 12 against the Bengals. The injury would keep him out for the remainder of that contest as well as the following four, opening the door for Lowe to showcase what he can do in the final year of his rookie contract. And showcase he did.

While not the most freakish athlete or highest-upside offensive tackle in the league, he did do a fairly decent job filling in as a starter. Lowe surrendered only one sack despite facing some quality edge rushers, and managed to drastically cut down on penalties, albeit in a smaller sample size: after averaging a flag every 62 snaps in 2024, he got one every 159 in 2025. Still, the improvement overall was notable.

Lowe went back to the bench as well as special teams duty after Campbell's return in Week 18, but still can feel good about what he put on tape during his four starts and over 300 combined offensive snaps.

Free agency preview

Free agency status:Unrestricted free agent (UFA)

What is his contract history?Lowe put his signature under a standard four-year rookie pact upon entering the NFL with the Vikings, and that deal was later traded do New England with him. And with him never leaving the Patriots' active roster, it actually remained alive through the 2025 season. As a consequence, it is the sole source of his contractual income as a pro and due to performance escalators earned him around $6.2 million, according to calculations by Over the Cap.

Which teams might be in the running?Quality left tackle play is hard to come by in the NFL, and while Lowe has never quite proven himself a player worthy of definitive starter status, he looked like a capable stand-in in 2025. This, in turn, might make him an attractive target for teams having questions at the position either because they lack an established left tackle or are concerned about injury. The Browns, Giants, Bears, Panthers and maybe the Lions or Packers come to mind.

Why should he be expected back?As noted above, quality left tackle play is not easily found even at the backup level. Lowe may not be a world-beater and seems to lack the versatility to be a true swing tackle, but he has shown himself capable of filling in for Campbell when his number was called last season. Add the fact that the Patriots lack any proven alternatives, and there is a case for Lowe to be brought back.

Why should he be expected to leave?It's all about perspective and money, and if Lowe feels like other teams are more attractive in that regard he very well might be headed out the door. Fact is, after all, that the Patriots have hitched their wagon to Campbell at left tackle, which in turn means he would return as a backup with no clear path to starting outside of injury.

What is his projected free agency outcome?Even though Lowe looked solid as a spot-starter in 2025, the Patriots and the 27-year-old will go their different ways this free agency. From a New England perspective, trying to get younger, cheaper and more positionally flexible without a serious drop-off in performance does not seem like an insurmountable task. Meanwhile, Lowe seems to be generating some momentum heading into the open market. The time for a departure seems ripe.

Now it's your turn to play GM: What would you do with Vederian Lowe? Try to re-sign him? Or let him leave? Please head down to the comment section to share your plan.