Patriots Facing Difficult Defensive Roster Decision

The New England Patriots did not exactly have a talent-laden roster last season, which is why they broke the bank during free agency in March. They then proceeded to enjoy a terrific NFL Draft unlike last season, where they seemingly made a plethora mistakes aside from taking Drake Maye.

Now, the Patriots are looking quite a bit more interesting, and thanks to the depth they've developed, they may actually be facing some tough roster decisions before the start of the 2025 campaign.

For example, Keagan Stiefel of NESN has identified a particularly difficult choice New England may have to make at a position you wouldn't normally expect: safety.

The Pats' decision to select California defensive back Craig Woodson in the fourth round of the draft (a pick that has been generally criticized) has put them in a rather complicated situation when it comes to choosing which safeties will make the 53-man roster come September.

"It’ll just make for a difficult decision on cut-down day, as Dell Pettus, Marte Mapu and Jaylinn Hawkins — three players who made admirable contributions last season — could all be vying for just one remaining roster spot depending on how things shake out," Stiefel wrote. "It’s ultimately a good thing for the team, as they can finally boast adequate depth on the defense, but it won’t make things any easier when the tough calls are ultimately made."

Of course, this "tough" decision is certainly better than last year, when the Patriots simply did not have enough talent up and down the roster to have to worry about this sort of thing.

That being said, it will represent a good test for Mike Vrabel and his coaching staff to see if they make the right moves heading into their debut campaign.