New England Patriots: Devin McCourty is the most important player on defense

There are a number of players on the New England Patriots defense that are key to the unit’s success, however, none are more crucial than safety Devin McCourty.

New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty is entering his ninth season in the NFL and continues to serve as a stalwart in New England’s defense. He’s a tremendous leader, both on and off the field, and one of the team’s most reliable players. His ability and production at the safety position rank among the best in the league, and he’s an invaluable cog in the Patriots system.

You could easily define McCourty in one word: Leader.

McCourty has been named a captain of the Patriots defense seven times in his career, including every season since 2011. He’s the leader of New England’s defense and, essentially, the quarterback of the group. You can see it in his fiery pregame speeches, like the one prior to Super Bowl XLIX, and how he communicates with his teammates in-game.

A great example of McCourty’s leadership is Week 8 against the Chargers when he was mic’d up for NFL Films. He’s shown giving pointers to fellow defensive backs, alerting them of potential routes, and directing the defense as if he were a ringmaster at the circus. All while making a handful of bone-crushing tackles and impressive pass breakups.

McCourty’s empowering leadership extends off the field, too. He’s a member of the Players Coalition, a group of NFL players advocating social and racial justice and equality.

McCourty’s knowledge and experience in the Patriots defense are part of what makes him the leader he is. Should he ever miss an extended period of time, the team would be hard pressed finding his replacement. Luckily, his availability is seldom in doubt.

In eight seasons, McCourty’s missed just five games. He’s played, and started, 123 regular season games and 19 in the postseason. According to Pro Football Reference, McCourty has played over 90% of New England’s defensive snaps in each season since 2012 (when snap counts were made available).

McCourty isn’t just a reliable player, he’s an elite one, too. He led the Patriots with a career-high 77 tackles last season, which ranked third among all defensive backs in the league. He has the speed to chase down ball carriers in open space and the range to disrupt passing plays downfield. In 2016, he earned the highest coverage grade among safeties from Pro Football Focus.

Unlike fellow key players Dont’a Hightower and Rob Gronkowski, who’ve missed a handful of games, the Patriots aren’t accustomed to playing without McCourty. If he were to miss a stretch of time free safety Duron Harmon would likely take over his role.

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When you look back on the  Patriots’ recent playoff runs, the rosters have changed far more than they’ve stayed the same. There are new defensive lineman, new linebackers, new cornerbacks, but one thing remains the same: Devin McCourty. With his leadership, reliability, and high level of play, he’s cemented a role as the most important player on New England’s defense.