The 2026 New England Patriots needed to improve substantially over their 2025 version if they hope to succeed in 2026. Their schedule is degrees of difficulty tougher, and whether they've improved enough this offseason to rectify the deficiencies exposed in the Super Bowl is questionable.
One area in which the team has unquestionably improved this offseason is the secondary. They added veteran 2025 All-Pro free safety Kevin Byard III. All-Pro says all that is necessary. Yet, in addition to Byard's on-field excellence (he had seven interceptions in 2025 to tie for the NFL's lead), he is also a willing teacher.
One Patriots player who can utilize his knowledge to dramatically improve his game is his fellow safety, second-year man, Craig Woodson.
Kevin Byard can massively improve Craig Woodson's value to the Patriots
Rookie safety Craig Woodson was a 2025 fourth-round pick who some felt was a reach in that round. He was anything but. He not only played in all 17 games but also started at safety for 15 of them. As with many of his fellow 2025 draftees, he was a solid selection.
This was in stark contrast with the 2024 draft, which, after the no-brainer selection of Drake Maye, was a total disaster.
Woodson notched 79 total stops, two fumble recoveries, and three passes defensed in 2025. It was a solid and encouraging rookie season, and more is expected in 2026. Yet, one area in which he was not successful was in grabbing any interceptions or creating any other takeaways.
That's where ballhawk Byard enters the picture and can hopefully provide the guidance Woodson needs to take his game to another level.
The 32-year-old Byard has 11 NFL seasons under his belt. During that time, he's racked up 36 interceptions, including seven last season, his best total since registering eight in 2017 with Tennessee. Byard's knack for interceptions is exactly the type of tutelage a promising young player like Woodson can really utilize.
The conspicuous absence of interceptions is clearly a part of his game that both Woodson, his defensive coaches, and Head Coach Mike Vrabel want to rectify. If Woodson can add that game-changing aspect to his output while working with Kevin Byard III, it will be a double win for Vrabel.
He'd not only have signed a first-team All-Pro safety at the top of his game, but also set the stage for the further development of his very good young one, Craig Woodson.
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