2026 New England Patriots in Three Players
The offseason is upon us. Let's take a look at all 32 teams.
The 22nd edition of our offseason series is here!
Instead of reviewing all 32 drafts and adding casual commentary, I will be doing this instead.
We will go through every single team, in alphabetical order, and quickly discuss three players:
a favorite free agent signing
a favorite draft pick
and a player already entrenched on the roster
Not necessarily the best, or the top, or the one's who will play the biggest role, just one of choice.
We are onto the New England Patriots.
Free Agent Signing
DE Dre'Mont Jones
Jones is going into Year 8, landing with his fifth franchise.
He put up a career high 7.0 sacks and 56 pressures in 2025, with a solid 11.6% pressure rate.
New England gave Jones a 3 year, $36.5m contract in free agency.
Here is a cut-up of Jones' best pass rush in 2025.
The Patriots pass rush was middling last season, up until the postseason.
16th in pressure rate
26th in sacks
19th in time to pressure
It was not great. And they only ranked 19th in turnovers.
And yet, the defense was still very strong.
Top 10 in each of points per game, yards per game, and EPA per play.
Dre'Mont Jones comes in with a purpose of replacing K'Lavon Chaisson, who posted nearly identical numbers to Jones in 2025.
I think Jones is a fantastic player who may become an improvement over Chaisson.
He is listed at 280lbs an incredibly thick edge rusher. And yet he's so light on his feet, looking like he weights 240lbs. A great athlete, and it shows in his rushes.
Jones moves so well on his feet, almost galloping to his spots when rushing. His footwork leading up to his pass rush moves is really great, it sets everything up for Jones.
Jones has a deep bag of pass rush moves. He loves setting up his spin, but his go-to is more of a simple dip around the edge. This dip and his bend is elite at 280lbs, Jones really forces the OT deep in his set, which forces the QB to step up in the pocket. This move pairs well with the Patriots interior pass rush.
And at 280lbs, Jones is capable of rushing from the interior. He had 78 rush attempts there to the tune of a fantastic 15% pressure rate.
Jones has mostly worked as a stand-up edge rusher, which works with what New England has done. He also has a fantastic motor as a rusher. Legitimate stamina and the ability to counter throughout the rep.
The main weakness with Jones' rush is his mediocre speed to power, and bull rush in general. It's not an issue, but his pure power is not always as effective.
But I do not expect the Patriots to ask Jones to start only power rushing, so I don't see this being a concern.
In the run game, Jones is solid, better than Chaisson in my opinion.
Due to the nature of being a stand-up rusher, he can sometimes be ineffective against the run. But Jones' strength, and decent length, help him overcome that a lot. He can get through gaps in the run game.
Jones also reads all plays very well, another thing to help in the run game. He does not find himself out of position.
Dre'Mont Jones is a quality player to have on your edge. I believe he could be an upgrade to Chaisson, but likely does not change this defense in massive ways. The overall sack production of this defense could improve with how Jones stresses offensive tackles.
This was a positive signing from New England, and we'll see if he can produce. Jones will have to, because the Patriots depth behind Jones is not the best.
Draftee
TE Eli Raridon
Raridon was the 95th pick of this years' draft after spending four years at Notre Dame.
2025 was the only season of Raridon being a primary starter, and he posted 32 catches for 482 yards in a run heavy offense.
Here is a cut-up of Raridon against South Carolina, courtesy of @BengalsBrews on Twitter/X.
The most glaring red flag for Raridon is his ACL tear in high school and then re-tearing the same knee as a freshman at Notre Dame, causing him to miss a part of his sophomore year as well.
Raridon is also a bit light for a TE who has a 6'6 frame, weighing just 245lbs, especially since he could be considered a blocking TE.
The Patriots have 31 year old Hunter Henry entrenched as a starter, but Raridon should see the field as TE2. Henry is also in the final year of his deal.
Raridon is a blocker with good technique and a lengthy frame. His hand placement is consistent, he can sustain his blocks, but doesn't always move defenders, and has not shown that he can reach the second level.
While Raridon has gotten the blocking label, he is more than capable as a pass catcher.
Obviously, the frame is ideal to throw to. His contested catch ability is fantastic, mostly because it's hard to contest him.
His speed is not crazy, but Raridon is explosive(which also helps him in the run game). He can sneak downfield and is a good target up the seams and to the sideline.
A big positive with Raridon that is so important to have at the NFL level is how he deals with zone coverage. He is comfortable settling down and navigating zones. This helps QBs so much, and will get him on the same page as Drake Maye quickly.
I mentioned Raridon's knee history, lighter frame, and lack of ability to climb as a blocker. I don't think those will make or break his ability to be a good NFL TE. One factor that could truly limit his ceiling is his agility.
As a route runner, Raridon is not very shifty. He lacks the wiggle to be a good route runner, and his stride length also can make his routes predictable. He runs quite choppy.
The wiggle and agility concerns also effect Raridon's ceiling after the catch.
Think of all the top TEs in the NFL. They all are either nuanced route runners or extremely effective after the catch. This may not be in Raridon's future.
Regardless of Eli Raridon's ceiling, he has the tools to be a contributor as a rookie, and a productive NFL TE, elite or not.
I believe his role will be limited as a rookie, but he will be poised to take over as TE1 in Year 2, and that he will form a good connection with Drake Maye very quickly.
In-House Player
DT Cory Durden
Durden was undrafted in 2023 and spent his rookie year on the Rams practice squad.
He was there in 2024 as well, before the Giants signed him to the active roster in December 2024. Durden was in New York until they released him prior to 2025, when New England swooped in, signed him to the active roster, and played him all 17 games.
Career highs in tackles(30) and TFLs(5) last season.
Here is a cut-up of the good stuff from Durden's 2025 season.
In theory, Cory Durden steps right into the place of Khyiris Tonga, the nose tackle who left in free agency for Kansas City.
Durden played a rotational role and was essentially the back-up nose in 2025, as much as there can be a back-up nose.
In reality, I'm not sure this is feasible.
Tonga weighs 335lbs and Durden is listed at just 305lbs. That is a notable difference when is comes to being able to anchor down and hold your space.
Durden is quite strong. Very, very strong. A mover of men on the line of scrimmage.
He also has really good foot speed for a 300 pounder. Not only does it help in pursuit, but it makes him difficult to block. Durden moves his feet well in general, and can move with the offensive line on the line of scrimmage. Combining this with his strength, Durden is a menace to block.
While Durden isn't a classic "gap shooter", he finds his way into the backfield. He moves well side to side. Durden's just an overall athlete.
Again, I'm not sure Cory Durden has the mass to replace Tonga. While he can move and control blockers, it's rare you see him anchor down and control gaps.
In terms of pass rush, Durden has not yet been productive as a pro.
There is some good, but based on what I've described above about his run game movement ability, you'd expect him to be a productive pass rusher.
This has not been the case. There is an occasional solid rep where he can push the pocket and apply some pressure, but Durden doesn't seem to have a great approach as a rusher.
Again, with his physical abilities, you'd anticipate growth to come. If Durden can acquire a go-to move, he can join the likes of Milton Williams and Christian Barmore as impact rushers on the Pats interior.
Despite Durden not being a prototypical nose tackle, I am confident in him holding down the fort if New England runs a few less 5 man fronts. Or commits to more four down lineman and uses a backer as the fifth man.
Durden, at worst, is a very strong rotational player on the interior that helps give the Patriots a true strength on their defense.
Thanks for reading through our 22nd edition of previewing all 32 teams in 3 players! We are working our way to be completed by the time the preseason begins!
Let me know who else on the Patriots is worth monitoring this season, good or bad!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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