The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason after having been drubbed by the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. The achievement of reaching that huge tilt was certainly dampened by how easily the Seahawks handled the Patriots.
In addition to the players brought in to bolster the defensive line, they went outside the expected and signed a top free-agent safety, Kevin Byard III, not necessarily a huge need.
Regardless, landing an All-Pro even on a one-year deal is never a bad idea. Now, an NFL analyst, Jordan Schultz, is raining high praise on that signing. He's spot on in his analysis.
Schultz has touted the Patriots' free-agent signing of Kevin Byard III as one of "the best under-the-radar" signings of the entire 2026 offseason. The 32-year-old, 10-year veteran had a great 2025 season for the Bears and brings not only experience but recent top production to the table.
Kevin Byard III's signing was a great move any way you look at it
As mentioned, while Byard didn't fill a massive positional need on the Patriots, his pedigree is such that it was as close to a no-brainer as you can get.
Byard notched 93 tackles and four tackles for loss. He had eight passes defended, and his best stat of all was seven drive-ending and possible game-changing interceptions. Those achievements earned him first-team All-Pro for 2025.
Now, Schultz is calling Byard one of the best, what he calls "under-the-radar free agent signings."
I went back and looked at some offseason moves, and here are my top 10 under-the-radar free agent signings.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 11, 2026
These are players who I think could have a much bigger impact this year than we might even realize right now. 👀 pic.twitter.com/vwJxzluh9a
Byard will now team with second-year safety Craig Woodson, who had a nice year himself as a rookie. He started 15 games with three passes defended and two fumble recoveries in a superb rookie season. Yet, Woodson logged no interceptions, and Byard will fill the need for a ball hawk in the defensive backfield magnificently.
The 2025 season was the third time Byard had been named a first-team All-Pro, along with 2017 and 2021, with the Titans. Pro Bowls are solid accomplishments, but All-Pros are the best of the best.
Earning three such nods puts Byard squarely in the frame of a potential Pro Football Hall of Fame wearer of the vaunted yellow jacket. Expect Byard to lead the Patriots in interceptions in 2026 and make a lot of additional big plays, as well.
Not sure how signing a first-team All-Pro can be called an "under-the-radar" signing, but signing Byard is surely one of the Patriots' very best offseason moves. He moves immediately into a starting and leadership role in the defensive backfield.
That backfield includes Pro-Bowler and lockdown corner Christian Gonzalez, solid cornerback Carlton Davis III, Woodson, and explosive slot corner Marcus Jones. Byard's addition makes that unit one of the best in the NFL. It was unquestionably a great signing, whether it was "under-the-radar" or not.
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