The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason with a few pressing needs, like wide receiver, edge, and offensive line. One need that wasn't apparent until they let surprise top-performing 2025 free agent defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga leave was defensive tackle (DT).
It is now, and fourth-year player Cory Durden is expected to fill the void; by all accounts, he seems to be planning to do so, as WEEI's Meghan Ottolini has noted.
The team let Tonga go and neither drafted nor signed any significant DTs to bolster the position. Durden was one 2025 player who stepped in and contributed. He posted 30 total stops with five tackles for loss and a quarterback hit in 17 games in 2025. But importantly, he had no sacks.
Now, with Tonga gone, Durden will be expected to fill his massive hole as the third man behind star Milton Williams and Patriots veteran Christian Barmore. The responsibility as the third DT is squarely on Durden's shoulders, and he's expected to be a big contributor in 2026.
Hopefully, he will be, since there's little behind him on the roster to inspire much confidence.
The Patriots' Cory Durden is on the spot to produce in 2026
Durden was solid in 2025 but nothing to write home about. With no sacks and only one big "play", that one quarterback hit to adorn his resume, he needs to step up big-time. He needs to be better and do more if the defensive line is to perform as expected. Also, in the case of an injury to Williams or Barmore, Durden will be squarely on the spot.
Ottolini commented about Durden's work with top NFL defensive linemen this offseason and his sack goals for 2026.
"The nose tackle came from humble beginnings in the NFL and made huge strides in the Patriots’ 2025 season. New England signed him to the practice squad last August. By Super Bowl 60, he was a starter...Durden shared how spent time this summer in Las Vegas, working out with Dallas Cowboys defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby organized the meetups through their shared agent.
Posting five sacks would solve quite a bit for the Patriots’ pass rush. Fellow interior guys Milton Williams and Christian Barmore combined for 5.5 sacks last season... But with the departure of linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson last spring and Harold Landry III’s status on the Physically Unable to Perform list, there’s plenty of areas in which others can help when it comes to making quarterbacks uncomfortable."
Depth is the greatest concern after the Patriots' top two D-linemen. Durden's main competition for the third spot will likely be the Patriots' 2025 former fourth-round draft pick, Joshua Farmer.
The former Florida State Seminole played in 13 games in his rookie season and started three. Yet his stats were underwhelming.
Farmer had 20 total stops with one tackle for loss, a fumble recovery, and one pass defended in 2025. Like Durden, he had no sacks. The name of the game for the Patriots on defense this season and every season, for that matter, has to be sack production.
In 2025, they had only 35 sacks and tied for 21st in the NFL with three other teams. The league-leading Broncos had a whopping 68.
Cory Durden came from inauspicious beginnings last season and played in 17 regular season games. Now, with Tonga gone, the pressure will be on the 27-year-old to step up and be a lot more productive contributor on the D-line. Defensive linemen get injured, and quality depth is critical to sustaining performance, including in generating sacks.
Durden is on the spot, and if he can get to the five sacks he's hoping for, it will be a terrific contribution to the 2026 defense.
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