Almost-traded Patriots defender gets his shot after Harold Landry setback

The New England Patriots have built up some solid depth on the edge as the season has gone on. Harold Landry and K'Lavon Chaisson have put together strong campaigns, while rookie Elijah Ponder has notched three sacks, and fifth-round pick Bradyn Swinson has seen an increase in snaps over the past few weeks.

One player that looked sure to be omitted from the 53-man roster up until the end of August was Anfernee Jennings. He doesn't have the pass-rushing ability Vrabel seeks in his edge rushers, but is instead excellent against the run.

During Week 2 of the preseason, though, the script flipped. Jennings notched three sacks and four stops against the Vikings with a 21% pressure rate.

Jennings made the team, and despite recording the lowest snap count of his career so far, he has carved out a role for himself this season. He has a 9.2% pressure rate this season, the highest since his rookie season. On Sunday against the Jets, he had one of his best games of the season while playing a season-high 39 snaps.

Anfernee Jennings was an excellent replacement to Harold Landry

Sample size was no issue for Jennings against the Jets when analyzing his performance in place of the injured Harold Landry. Jennings played the fourth-most snaps in a game in his NFL career on Sunday, and the most since his rookie season in 2020.

The 28-year-old recorded an 82.1 overall PFF grade, his second-highest of the season, and his 85.6 run defense grade was his highest since Week 15 of last season.

Jennings' low snap count this season could very well be an indication that he'll be on his way out this offseason. The team would save 80% of his contract if he were released, but his recent uptick in production could warrant a late-round pick in a trade if an interested team comes calling.

Alternatively, Jennings could have earned himself another chance to stick around in 2026.

Regardless of what Vrabel and company decide to do this offseason, Jennings was a more than capable fill-in for Harold Landry on Sunday. Jennings has stepped up as of late, recording a 12.5% pressure rate over the last four games, in each of which he's played 20+ snaps, something he went nearly two months without doing before this streak.

If the Patriots want to continue the elite defensive play they showed against the Jets, they'll need players like Jennings at their best.