'Tis the season for prognostications about the National Football League and its teams and players. Similar to draft season, it's always a fun exercise to see how national and other pundits evaluate your team and its players' prospects.
Some will provide some great takes, while others will trash your team and its outlook for the upcoming season. It's all part of the NFL media regimen that unfolds in a yearlong stream of uplifting or trashing of teams and players.
Fortunately, in 2025, with Mike Vrabel at the helm of the Patriots, there have been a lot of optimistic predictions emanating from the national media (if not as often from the local!). One national pundit recently cited Vrabel's biggest splash in free agency monetarily, defensive tackle Milton Williams, as a breakout player in 2025.
Milton Williams is seen as Pro Bowler by an NFL.com analyst
Milton Williams signed with the Patriots after having a monstrous Super Bowl with two sacks and a fumble recovery for the winning Eagles. It was a statement signing by Vrabel, but a costly one. Williams became the Patriots' highest-paid player ever. So the expectations are high, but Williams is being seen as well worth the investment.
NESN's Victor Barbosa cites NFL.com's Kevin Patra, who tabbed the Patriots' Milton Williams in his column, choosing every NFL team's first-time Pro Bowlers.
“'What the voters whiffed on, free agency made up for,' Patra wrote. 'In a part-time role in Philly, Williams generated 35 QB pressures and five sacks in 2024. His pressure rate of 12.9% led all defensive tackles last season (among those with a minimum of 200 pass rushes). Williams’ get-off and penetrating ability allow him to wreck plays in the backfield ...'If Williams comes even close to keeping up the efficiency with an increased workload, he’s a near shoo-in for a Pro Bowl.'”
As Patra notes, Williams can bring the heat upfront where it counts. Vrabel has devoted massive free agency and draft resources to shoring up his offensive and defensive lines. Williams is the defensive lineman with the highest upside.
Expect Milton Williams to shine alongside his top linemates
Milton Williams only played about 48 percent of the 2024 defensive snaps for the Eagles. That was due more to the presence of his top linemates than to his ability. Similarly, he'll have top guys around him in 2025 with the Patriots.
Christian Barmore, hopefully fully healthy, is a pocket-collapsing monster on the nose. Additionally, suppose Mike Vrabel finally determines that Keion White is a defensive tackle, not an edge (an unlikely eventuality), Williams will have two similar menaces to provide a nightmare scenario for any offense.
These three defensive tackles would be as formidable a trio as any in the NFL. But Vrabel has to get the decision on White right. Seeing White, a 6'4", 285-pounder dropping into coverage against the Vikings in their preseason game, is not a good indicator, however. It looks like he'll follow a similar mistaken path to that of his two predecessors.
Regardless, Milton Williams is poised for a breakout season, and with Barmore at least alongside, it spells trouble for opposing offenses. Pockets won't last long, and fortunately, once the quarterback is flushed out of the pocket, this season with linebackers Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, and Christian Elliss around to clean up, the Patriots' defense's prospects are golden.