3-Point Stance: How the Patriots’ offseason approach left the defensive edge vulnerable

Entering the 2026 season, the New England Patriots have a glaring weakness on the defensive edge.

After New England’s preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 22, head coach Mike Vrabel said he doesn’t think the Patriots have a deep roster. He later explained on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show that his comments came while emphasizing the development of the team’s young players.

Simply put, the team’s depth remains unsettled.

But for the defensive edge room, those question marks range from the top of the depth chart to the bottom.

Why is that?

For starters, veteran Harold Landry III, who’s supposed to be an every-down starter, is beginning the season on the PUP list after undergoing knee surgery earlier in the offseason. He’s now slated to miss at least the first four games.

In free agency, New England added another veteran, Dre’Mont Jones, opting not to re-sign core 2025 defender K’Lavon Chaisson. The Patriots also let capable edge-setter and 2020 third-round pick Anfernee Jennings walk in free agency, who played well in meaningful playoff snaps without Landry available.

On paper, an approach emphasizing player development left the position thin and, consequently, with little room for error.

Then, factoring in second-round pick Gabe Jacas’ contract situation, the rookie’s delayed start to offseason workouts added a layer of uncertainty to the team’s early-season outlook — regardless of whether New England knew about his knee injury before the draft.

Harold Landry’s injury exposes a major concern

Landry’s aforementioned knee injury in 2025 persisted up until the Super Bowl in February, where the 30-year-old logged just 14 defensive snaps and spent most of his time in uniform watching from the sideline. He also missed the previous two playoff contests because of the setback.

After suffering the initial injury during a Week Six matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Landry aggravated his knee in Week 12 in another game against the Cincinnati Bengals. By late December, the former Tennessee Titan missed a number of practices and was ruled out for the final two weeks of the regular season.

Because of Landry’s long recovery, New England will open the season with Jones and 2025 undrafted free agent Elijah Ponder as the starters on the edge. Ponder secured four sacks last year but has yet to establish himself as an every-down presence.

Outside of the Jones and Chaisson swap, Jacas was the Patriots’ most substantial addition. Still, even though he’s slated to be the top rotational piece on the depth chart, his preseason performance showcased a raw rookie who needs plenty of learning experience at the NFL level.

When speaking with the media on Tuesday, Vrabel was asked about Landry’s and special teams ace Brenden Schooler’s status: “I wasn’t anticipating them being out there … I think the plan was that this is not unexpected.”

If Landry’s absence wasn’t unexpected, the Jacas selection may have provided a level of comfort to the coaching staff until the veteran is fully healthy.

However, Jacas’ late start has left the defensive edge depth chart thinner than expected while Landry works his way back.

The Patriots never added insurance

Nonetheless, Vrabel and Co. decided to carry just four outside linebackers on the initial 53-man roster (Jones, Ponder, Jacas, Quintayvious Hutchins) without making any further additions. Hutchins, a seventh-round draft choice, strictly projects as a special teams contributor entering his rookie season.

After outside linebackers coach Mike Smith expressed “very high expectations” for Ponder during mandatory minicamp, Vrabel also noted his enthusiasm to see Bradyn Swinson progress, highlighting the coaching staff’s belief in the development of their second-year players.

“I think he improved over the course of last season, and certainly has taken to that early on in the spring and what we have been able to do,” Vrabel said at minicamp. “I’m excited about what he’ll be able to do and excited to see him in training camp.”

Yet, that optimism ultimately didn’t translate into a roster spot. New England later waived Swinson during roster cutdowns.

And subsequently, because of that progression-focused approach, no depth moves were made in free agency or training camp.

In March, Chaisson signed just a one-year, $11 million contract with the Washington Commanders. Although he’s not an uber-talented run defender as a three-down player, he could have been a spot starter who complemented Jones by cleaning up plays behind the line of scrimmage.

The Patriots also could have signed a cheaper rotational piece with plenty of options on the market. Former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie was one of those potential fits. His total contract value with the Philadelphia Eagles sits at only $4.3 million.

Additionally, during roster cutdowns, New England chose not to add, even with veterans like Kyle Van Noy available. The team made trades and placed waiver claims in other areas, but not on the defensive edge, which places more responsibility on other units.

Heavy responsibility on the interior

Whether or not it was the desired outcome, the defensive tackles face another season of heightened responsibility.

In 2025, arguably the defense’s biggest weakness was a failure to frequently finish plays behind the line of scrimmage despite the interior producing significant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, New England ranked first in the league in pass-rush win rate (21.1%) and pressure rate (15.7%) from players lined up between the offensive tackles.

That said, with 35 total sacks on the season, tied with four other franchises, the Patriots ranked 22nd in sacks.

Given the current makeup of New England’s defensive edge room, that defensive line dynamic is set to remain.

Defensive tackles face a crowded and more compact area of the offensive line to get to the quarterback. If the interior pass rush can’t consistently win its matchups during a game, the Patriots have few proven options on the edge capable of compensating and generating pressure from the outside.

Still, that doesn’t mean the defensive edge unit can’t piece everything together towards the end of the regular season. By that time, and given that Landry wasn’t placed on season-ending injured reserve, the veteran should return to the lineup. Furthermore, Jacas and Ponder will have gained more experience to adjust to larger roles.

The primary concern is the stretch of contests the team faces without Landry and a raw Jacas, which could account for a decent portion of the regular season.

Nevertheless, the defensive line’s production ceiling in 2026 hinges on the development of the edge.

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