New England Patriots: Deatrich Wise named their secret weapon

Recently Pro Football Focus named the secret weapon for every team on ESPN. Who has been the secret weapon for the New England Patriots?

So far in 2017, the New England Patriots haven’t gotten off to the start that they would have liked. Even though they have a 2-1 record through three games, the Patriots haven’t looked as impressive as many thought they would be.

While Tom Brady and the offense has been very good for the most part, it has been the defense that has let them down. In their first three games, the Patriots have allowed 300 or more passing yards to all three quarterbacks that they have faced.

This is certainly concerning for the Patriots, as the quarterbacks that they have faced aren’t considered to be great quarterbacks. Despite the struggles of their defense, the Patriots do have one player that has really done well so far.

Recently, Pro Football Focus named defensive end Deatrich Wise the Patriots’ secret weapon on an article featured on ESPN. Here’s what they had to say about Wise.

"The Patriots might have finally found a high-impact edge rusher in Wise. The rookie fourth-round pick out of Arkansas has two sacks, six hits, and five additional hurries through three games and added a batted pass against Houston last week. His overall PFF grade is 84.2, and his pass-rushing grade of 84.7 is the 10th-best mark among edge rushers through the first three weeks of the season."

Not only has Wise been excellent among rookies, he has been one of the best edge defenders in the entire NFL. Considering that he is just a fourth-round pick, it appears like the Patriots might have made another great mid-round selection in the NFL Draft.

With the Patriots’ defense struggling as a whole, Wise has certainly been a bright spot. Getting production on the edge was certainly a concern this season, but has ended up being a strength so far. Having Wise playing at such a high level already has helped compliment Trey Flowers, who is the Patriots’ best rusher from last season.

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Even though the Patriots’ defense hasn’t played up to their potential yet, there is a lot of talent on the team. Once Dont’a Hightower comes back from his injury, they should be able to play much better. If Wise continues to develop, the Patriots will have a much better pass rush than expected.