Patriots’ 2022 offensive optimism is being weighed down by defense

The New England Patriots’ offense may be improved in 2022 by additions, but any improvement will be weighed down by their defense in 2022. The offense has undergone an offseason mini-makeover — especially on a critical unit, its offensive line. Gone are stalwart guards Shaq Mason and Ted Karras. Big-time NFL talent exited there.

One replacement was first-round pick Cole Strange, a guard from Tennessee-Chattanooga who was taken with the 29th pick in the first round, a pick many thought was far too early. The offense did get better at wide receiver through a savvy trade for DeVante Parker (their best move of the offseason) and they also drafted to add other weapons to now-second-year quarterback Mac Jones’ arsenal.

One weapon was a controversial draft pick. They traded up for Tyquan Thornton, a speedy wide receiver from Baylor, and took him with pick No. 50 in the second round. The consensus was that this was a huge reach for Thornton. Many thought he’d be available much later. He’s also a rail-thin 181 pounds, and critics of the pick wonder if he can sustain the pounding of NFL big hitters.

The draft also added two running backs. One is Pierre Strong, a very fast back from South Dakota State, and Kevin Harris, a bruising back from South Carolina. James White suffered a season-ending hip injury in 2021 and is still not ready. Strong is certainly a hedge on his not being available early or maybe even at all. That was prudent.

Though a few of those selections were considered reaches, many still believe in the Patriots’ offense — or, at least, believe it improved.

On the other side of the ball, though…

The Patriots’ defense could drag down the offense in 2022

In 2021, it was likely the defense was counted upon to take up the slack for an offense that had a rookie quarterback. It did, for a time, before falling off a cliff late and being blown out twice by the Buffalo Bills. Yet, instead of going all out to bolster that unit, the Patriots largely punted and left loads of questions at all three levels.

On the defensive line, the team has one top player, Christian Barmore, and but then is stocked with lots of average types they are counting upon. These include Lawrence Guy, Davon Godchaux, Carl Davis, and Dietrich Wise Jr.  Daniel Ekuale, a journeyman who showed flashes, is also there, along with the team’s sixth-round draft pick, Sam Roberts.

Unfortunately, the Patriots, though they had plentiful opportunities, decided against adding another top player to team with Barmore. That was a mistake, and the D-line gets a D grade entering mandatory OTAs.

In addition, the team failed to add much to its very weak linebacker room. In fact, the unit is far weaker than the one that got trampled upon by the Bills last season. At linebacker, they lost three former top players in Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and the inexplicably-released Kyle Van Noy, arguably their most productive player at the second level. They needed a complete overhaul and didn’t get a positive one at all.

They’re now counting on two players who didn’t play a snap in 2021, Raekwon McMillan and Cameron Mcgrone, and two linebackers, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, who have done little since being high draft picks in 2020.

They also added Mack Wilson, another question mark, in a trade with Cleveland for third-round disappointment Chase Winovich. Additionally, in a truly head-scratching move, the team failed to add even one linebacker in the draft. This was the most glaring omission of the entire offseason, in addition to not adding a top offensive tackle early on. Having the Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh say that they’re “excited” about the position is not at all reassuring.

It’s a confusing roll of the dice that most likely will turn up snake eyes. It’s indefensible that they whiffed completely, both in free agency and in the draft at linebacker. It’s yet another telltale sign of a personnel operation that regressed back to its poor norm, after an uncharacteristically solid free agency and draft in 2021. Too bad that the 2021 trend wasn’t sustained this offseason. The linebackers get a gift with a D- grade.

At cornerback, the Patriots also regressed. First, they allowed their best — and one of the league’s best — J. C. Jackson to walk in free agency. The likely third-round compensation pick is little compensation for losing such a talented player. It was an ill-advised move, no matter what reasons the Patriots’ personnel operation can try to drum up to justify not paying a player who’s worth every cent of the $82.5M deal he got from the Los Angeles Chargers.

At least the team tried to address that need in the draft, and there were lots of options available.

They selected Marcus Jones, a versatile, yet woefully, short (at 5-8 tall) cornerback. Jones was one of their picks who actually was drafted where he should have been in the third round. He was even considered a possible second-rounder. Another negative there, though, is that Jones had surgery on both of his shoulders in the offseason and was not ready to play in rookie camp. He’s an injury risk, whether the team wants to admit it or not.

They also selected another corner, Jack Jones, a reach in the fourth round. Jones, at about 171 pounds, is also paper-thin and has off-field red flags. How these corners will cover taller and bigger wide receivers is a major question mark. No one of real consequence was added anywhere else, except Patriots Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, who didn’t play in 2021 at all. All this adds up to a grade of C for the defensive backfield, with safeties Devon McCourty, Justin Bethel, and Kyle Dugger helping to raise the grade considerably.

So there’s a quick overview of the lay of the land on defense. The Patriots’ offense should be OK, barring any major injuries on the offensive line, especially if Trent Brown is playing left tackle. Expect Mac Jones to be better and much quicker on his feet in 2022, and the offense to be pretty decent with the new weapons they added to assist him.

Yet the defense is a major worry, and confounding offseason personnel non-moves make it a total question mark. It says here they will be worse than the unit that fell apart late in 2021, and that’s not a great optic. The grade is C- overall. How do you think the Patriots’ defense looks for 2021? We’d like to hear your thoughts.

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