New England Patriots: Defensive Front Seven is Loaded

The cornerback position for the New England Patriots took a major step back this off season. Replacing Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington with Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain, Chimdi Chekwa and seventh-round pick Darryl Roberts is clearly a major step-down in talent. The Patriots have depth at the position, but there is nothing on the roster close to resembling the starting duo of Revis and Browner last season.

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It is nearly impossible to replace a player like Revis in the secondary. Instead of fooling themselves into thinking they could, the Patriots decided to beef up their defensive front seven to make up for their lack of impact talent in the secondary. Improving the pass rush will only help the Patriots’ inexperienced corners, and boy did they throw some assets towards this solution.

The Patriots entered the season with an already good outside pass rushing duo of Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. While their 14 combined sacks do not look the greatest on paper, Jones and Ninkovich did a nice job of getting consistent pressure on the quarterback. Jones missing six games last season hurt the defense as a whole, proving that depth at the defensive end/outside pass rusher position was certainly a concern.

The Patriots did an incredible job of addressing those depth concerns this off season. First off, their biggest free agent addition was outside linebacker/defensive end Jabaal Sheard, who is a very versatile player with strong pass rush skills. The addition of Sheard gives the Patriots a great third outside pass rusher, and his versatility will allow Bill Belichick to use him in many different roles as well.

Oct 26, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard (97) against Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 23-13. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

On top of the addition of Sheard, the Patriots brought even more defensive end help into the fold during the draft. Late third-round pick Geneo Grissom has great athleticism and versatility. Grissom showed the ability to rush the passer, drop in coverage and even showed impressive skills as a tight end in college. Grissom’s skills are a little bit raw, but he appears to be a very intriguing weapon who Belichick can do many different things with.

Early fourth-round pick Trey Flowers was considered by many to be a great value selection for the Patriots. Flowers was a very productive player in college who excels against the run and in the pass rush. He does not bring the versatility of a guy like Grissom, but Flowers is a very solid player who appears to be NFL ready.

Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower were huge contributors to the Patriots’ Super Bowl run. Both as run stoppers and in coverage, the Patriots’ linebackers were very good. The two even combined for 10 sacks on the season, so there is a pass rush presence from the linebacker position as well.

New England did not make any significant moves at the position this off season, but the return of Jerod Mayo will certainly help. Depth at linebacker is a bit of a concern, but the top three of Collins, Hightower and Mayo is as good as it gets. Sheard and Grissom could both play a role at the position if needed as well.

The loss of Vince Wilford at defensive tackle will certainly hurt, but it is almost like the Patriots are bringing in two first round picks at the position this season. Dominique Easley missed most of his rookie year of 2014 rehabbing from a knee injury after the Patriots selected him in the first round. Easley has the potential to be a dominant inside pass rusher, and appears to be much healthier heading in to this season. His impact up front can be absolutely massive.

Speaking of massive, this year’s first round pick Malcom Brown brings plenty of size to the defensive tackle position at 6-foot-2, 319 pounds, but his skill set is even more intriguing. Brown is a very powerful player who has surprising quickness that allows him to make plays both against the run and in the pass rush. He has a very quick first step that constantly gives him the edge over offensive lineman, and he does a very nice job of fighting off blockers using his raw strength and quickness.

Brown and Easley have the potential to make for an absolutely incredible defensive tackle duo up front for the Patriots, while guys like Sealver Siliga, Alan Branch, Joe Vellano and maybe even Flowers bring very nice depth to the position.

The Patriots have so many solid options to use across their front seven. In recent years, they have morphed into more of a 4-3 defense, and their moves this off season seem to support that. However, with Belichick in charge, anything is possible.

No matter how you look at it, the Patriots have a ton of talent, versatility and depth in their defensive front seven. They look set up to be solid against the run, and an improved pass rush seems to be guaranteed. The secondary is certainly a concern, but the much improved pass rush may be able to hide their deficiencies in the secondary.

Next: Malcom Brown Was a Steal For Patriots at No. 32

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