The Patriots did enough this offseason to make their defense look sturdier on paper, but one glaring issue could still drag the whole unit down in 2026: the pass rush.
New England’s 2025 defense got a real boost from a few major additions, starting with defensive tackle Milton Williams. Inside linebacker and captain Robert Spillane and cornerback Carlton Davis III also gave Mike Vrabel help at all three levels. On the surface, that’s the kind of overhaul that should steady a defense.
But the edge group remains a problem.
The presumptive starters right now are free-agent pickup Dre’Mont Jones and Harold Landry III, who arrived last year. Jones is serviceable, but Landry’s 2025 knee issues left his status unsettled.
There’s also second-year player Elijah Ponder waiting in the wings, while the Patriots used a second-round trade-up to grab Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, who has pass-rushing upside. Even so, he remains unsigned and his health situation is unclear.
That leaves the Patriots with a defense that looks stronger in some spots than others. Up front, Williams and Christian Barmore give New England one of the NFL’s better interior tandems.
The trouble starts after that. Joshua Farmer, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Eric Gregory, and Corey Durden are the backups, but they don’t exactly inspire confidence.
If one of the starters goes down, especially after Khyiris Tonga was allowed to leave in free agency, the interior could get thin in a hurry.
The secondary, by contrast, is a real strength. Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III form a strong cornerback pairing, with Marcus Jones working in the slot.
At safety, the Patriots added first-team All-Pro Kevin Byard III, and that move stands out as one of their best of the offseason. He joins second-year safety Craig Woodson to give New England one of the league’s better back ends.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently laid out best- and worst-case scenarios for every NFL defense, and his read on New England followed the same split. He highlighted Byard as a major boost for a team that managed only 19 takeaways last season, while also pointing to the lack of sack production as the issue that could sink the group.
"This isn't to say there aren't questions on the defense in New England. New England managed just 35 sacks in 2025, and the pass-rush isn't visibly better this year than last. The secondary is a deep and talented group on paper, but multiple members of that defensive backfield have injury histories.
The Patriots also had just 19 takeaways last season, and that lack of big-play punch could come back to haunt the team."
The good news for Vrabel is that there’s still time to fix it. Joey Bosa and Jadeveon Clowney remain available in free agency, and both are over 30 but still productive. With cap space to work with, New England has the flexibility to make a move.
If the Patriots don’t add more help off the edge, the same weakness that haunted them before could be back in a big way.
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The comparison at the top of the list only sharpens the debate, with Matthew Stafford landing above Maye despite the Patriots quarterbacks standout season. CBS pointed to the difference in surrounding conditions, noting Maye took more sacks and worked with a less effective receiving corps than Stafford did, and that context will matter again as New England keeps trying to build a more complete offense around him. [Read more 🡒]