Patriots Still Have Critical Offseason Priority to Address

The New England Patriots have certainly started off their first year of the Mike Vrabel era with an offseason of many changes and adjustments to the team. In a lot of ways, they've made significant steps forward from where this roster stood only four months ago.

The surrounding weaponry for Drake Maye has seen many new playmakers, multiple new starters project to be in the mix on the offensive line, and with big free agent signings in both the front seven and secondary, New England is primed to post more than four wins for the 2025 season ahead like they did in 2024.

However, even in the midst of the Patriots' wide-ranging improvements, there's still one area of the roster that may need a bit of extra work as a top priority ahead of next season in the mind of NFL.com's Kevin Patra: Boost the edge rush.

"The Patriots' pass rush struggled to make a dent last season, ranking last in the league with 28 sacks. New England added big-money Milton Williams on the inside, but the edge remains somewhat of a question mark," Patra wrote. "Harold Landry is entering his age-29 season and is on the downslope of his career," Patra wrote. "Keion White tied for the team lead in sacks last year, with five. Anfernee Jennings, K'Lavon Chaisson, Truman Jones, fifth-rounder Bradyn Swinson, and undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder round out the crew. Unless the Trey Hendrickson trade dam bursts open, there aren't big-time difference-makers available. But adding a proven veteran could give the Patriots' rush more potency."

The Patriots' pass-rush last season, among many factors, was lacking. New England ranked in the bottom three of the NFL for not just sacks, but also for pressures and QB knockdowns, while also falling in the bottom 10 of the league for hurries. Any way in which you cut it, opposing team's signal callers had little to no issue staying protected and airing the ball out on this defense.

Thankfully, New England's outlook won't be that poor within the pass rush for the season ahead. Names like Harold Landry, Keion White, and Anfernee Jennings all project to be worthwhile playmakers in this unit to lift the bar from the floor for 2025.