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New England Patriots: Adrian Clayborn will help pass-rush immensely

By Nick Ziegler

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: Adrian Clayborn #99 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after sacking Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: Adrian Clayborn #99 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after sacking Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots recently were able to sign edge rusher Adrian Clayborn to a two-year deal. What will he bring to New England?

Coming into the offseason, one of the most important areas that the New England Patriots needed to address was their pass rush. When Dont’a Hightower went down for the season, the Patriots had a hard time consistently getting to the quarterback.

Trey Flowers has certainly emerged as a good player for the Patriots, but one pass rusher can only do so much. While Hightower will be back next season, the Patriots needed to add another edge defender to help out Flowers and to also allow Hightower to move back to more of his traditional linebacker role with a need there as well.

Recently, the Patriots were able to accomplish this, as they signed Adrian Clayborn to a two-year contract.

Signing Clayborn was certainly a good move for the Patriots, as they were able to get one of the best pass-rushers in free agency. Considering the Patriots have taken some noticeable losses with Danny Amendola, Malcolm Butler, Dion Lewis, and Nate Solder all signing elsewhere this offseason, getting Clayborn was a win.

According to Pro Football Focus, Clayborn was graded as the 19th best edge defender in the NFL last season. With an overall grade of 85.5, Clayborn was in the same range as players like Ryan Kerrigan, Terrell Suggs, Chandler Jones, and Alex Okafor to name a few.

Where Clayborn really shines is at rushing the passer. While he was the 19th best edge defender overall, he was ranked 13th as a pass rusher. This was actually two spots higher than Flowers, as the Patriots could have a great duo next season.

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The two-year deal worth $6 million per season is a friendly deal for the Patriots, as they get a player that can be an elite pass-rusher. Adding Clayborn should help the Patriots improve one of their weak spots from last season, as New England fans will hope to see a lot of sacks from Clayborn this coming season.

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