The Patriots may have found one clear strength to lean on heading into a demanding 2026 schedule: their secondary.
That matters more now than ever in New England, because the rest of the defense still has some real issues to sort through. The front has two quality defensive tackles in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, but the depth behind them is thin, and the same goes on the edge and at inside linebacker. If those areas don’t hold up, the back end is going to have to carry plenty of the load.
Pro Football Focus sees that back end as the best in football. PFF ranked the Patriots’ secondary No. 1 in the NFL, a nod that carries extra weight because it comes from one of the league’s most respected analytical outlets.
Christian Gonzalez is the centerpiece, and PFF’s case starts there. The former second-team All-Pro and 2025 Pro Bowler is already one of the NFL’s top corners, and he backed that up by allowing a league-low 43.4% completion rate when targeted last season.
The praise doesn’t stop with Gonzalez. PFF also pointed to rookie safety Craig Woodson, who posted the best run-defense season of any safety with an 89.7 PFF run-defense grade.
Woodson was a fourth-round pick who turned into a major find, playing all 17 games and starting 15 at strong safety. He’s already looking like a player whose voice matters in a defense now entering its second season.
He’ll now be paired with Kevin Byard, a veteran and three-time All-Pro who led the league with seven interceptions last year. That gives New England a clean blend of youth and experience, and it’s a big reason the group looks so complete.
The rest of the unit is just as sturdy. Carlton Davis III gives the Patriots another reliable cover corner, while Marcus Jones brings juice from the slot and remains a very capable defender there despite his smaller frame. Behind them, New England has workable depth with Dell Pettus, Mike Brown, Kindle Vildor, Marcellas Dial Jr., and Charles Woods.
PFF also noted that New England was the only unit to log four games without a missed tackle last season.
So while the Patriots still have questions up front, the secondary gives them a real answer on the back end. In a defense with shaky depth at several spots, that’s not a luxury. It’s a necessity.
In Other News...
Vrabel Put Patriots Effort And Execution On Notice After Ugly Loss
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The more concerning part for the Patriots was the feel of the game itself, with Vrabel pointing to a lack of energy and competitiveness that stood out even in a preseason setting. New England had sat most of its core players, so the result was not the sort that changes a season, but it did serve as a reminder that the standard inside the building is going to be measured by effort and detail as much as by final scores, with better tests still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Revealed What Bouttes Exit Says About This Receiver Room
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There is still plenty of business left elsewhere on the roster, though, and Christian Gonzalez has become one of the bigger unresolved items. Contract talks between the Patriots and their cornerback remain open, but the sides are still separated by a notable gap in offers even after recent market benchmarks for other players. For a team trying to build around young talent, the receiver decision was the latest sign of where the depth chart stands, while the Gonzalez negotiations are a reminder that the important work around it is far from finished. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Can See What Really Drove This Eliot Wolf Move
The Patriots kept busy on the trade front by sending wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to Houston in exchange for defensive back Jaylen Reed and a seventh-round pick, a move that immediately fit into the broader roster-balance conversation around New England. Eliot Wolf made clear the club had already done its homework on Reed during the draft process, which gives this one a different feel than a simple swap of depth pieces.
There is also the financial side of the deal, since Bouttes contract structure created salary cap savings for New England. For a team that is still sorting through how it wants to build out both sides of the roster, the trade checks more than one box, and it suggests the Patriots saw a chance to add a player they liked while giving themselves a little more flexibility as they move forward. [Read more 🡒]