Patriots: Most overrated and underrated player on Pats roster

The New England Patriots made some big swings in the offseason to beef up the roster, signing Jalen Mills to play alongside JC Jackson and Stephon Gilmore while adding Davon Godchaux on the defensive line, Kendrick Bourne at wide receiver, and Jonnu Smith at tight end…just to name a few.

The Patriots figured out very quickly that despite the likes of Bill Belichick on the sidelines, it was almost impossible for Cam Newton to lead this team to success consistently, especially considering how much the division improved around them.

The Patriots should rightly feel good about their chances to compete this season, but that doesn’t mean that everyone on their roster will contribute equally to their success.

With every underrated player on this roster, there’s one overrated player that impacts how New England is perceived around the league.

While one Patriots player is getting disrespected by the rest of the league due to his ability to fly under the radar, one new signing flies into the unfortunate “overrated” territory.

Which Patriots players are overrated and underrated?

Underrated: JC Jackson

Jackson isn’t just the most underrated player on the Patriots. He might be the most underrated player in the league. With his ability to secure interceptions at an insane rate (17 in three seasons, nine last year), he could help the Patriots move off of Gilmore.

The only reason that the Gilmore trade rumors have not died down is the fact that they have a perfect replacement in Jackson waiting to take over the CB1 mantle. A former undrafted free agent, he has made the most of his opportunity.

Hopefully, with an increased role in the secondary and a penchant for picks that puts him up there with Marcus Peters and Xavien Howard, Jackson lets the world know about how good he is.

Overrated: Davon Godchaux

Godchaux was brought in after leaving a Patriots assistant in Brian Flores and his Miami Dolphins squad. Godchaux figures to be another run-stuffer that Belichick can move across the defensive line, but his last three seasons shouldn’t give fans hope that he could hit the ground running and change New England’s outlook.

Let’s just look at Godchaux’s last three campaigns. In 2018, he was a key component of a defensive line that helped Miami to a startling 31st place finish in rushing yards allowed. Godchaux improved slightly in 2019, but Miami ranked 27th in rushing and last in points allowed. He played just five games last year thanks to injury.

The Patriots already drafted a replacement/long-term option in Christian Barmore. All Godchaux is right now is a slightly more refined stopgap that could lose snaps if Barmore develops as quickly as New England hopes.

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