NFL fans just met the Patriots’ most dangerous new playoff weapon

As the New England Patriots embarked on their playoff run this year, there were some fair and obvious question marks hovering over Mike Vrabel’s defense.

Key pillars like linebacker Robert Spillane, defensive tackle Milton Williams, and edge Harold Landry Jr. were all coming off multiple-week injuries. The group also wasn’t really tested in the games leading up to the playoffs, aside from games against the Bills and Ravens; the Patriots surrendered 55 combined points in those games, including Baltimore playing the entire second half with backup QB Tyler Huntley.

Now two games into the playoffs, concerns that Drake Maye and the Patriots offense might have to carry the team have dissipated into the frosty Foxboro air. Vrabel’s defense hasn’t only gotten healthy and met the moment — it’s dominated while setting the tone for a real run at Super Bowl LX.

The national NFL media have had much to say about the elite defenses out in Los Angeles with the Chargers and Rams, and in Seattle and Houston. No one’s been talking about the Patriots, who have let their play speak for itself and might now be the most feared unit left of the league’s final four.

The return of Spillane, Williams, Landry, and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga to the Patriots’ lineup has been massive. So, too, has been the play of All-Pro-caliber players like Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones, whose pick-six against the Texans helped the Patriots take control of last week’s 28-16, divisional-round playoff win.

But it’s not just that the stars are aligning for these Patriots. As Vrabel says after every game, everybody plays for this Patriots’ defense, and there’s one unsung hero in particular who’s helped catapult the team to unexpected heights.

Craig Woodson is emerging as the Patriots’ defensive MVP in these playoffs

Vrabel raised some eyebrows last summer when he not only demoted safety Kyle Dugger but also cut ties with former team captain Jabrill Peppers.

There was a clear method to that madness, though, and the early-season reps for fourth-round rookie Craig Woodson have clearly paid off for the talented young safety in January.

Picking the Patriots’ most impactful defensive player through two playoff games would produce a fun and healthy debate. That conversation probably starts with Jones, Williams, and edge K'Lavon Chaisson, who’s been on an all-time heater.

Don’t sleep on Woodson, though. He had a career-high 11 tackles from the safety position against the Chargers in the wild-card round, and produced an interception, fumble recovery, and three passes defensed in Sunday’s shutdown of C.J. Stroud and the Texans.

Woodson has been the Patriots’ highest-graded defensive player in the playoffs, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s been lining up everywhere, with 42 snaps up in the box, 15 in the slot, and 64 back deep as more of a centerfielder. He’s been making plays all over the field, too, with zero missed tackles and just two receptions allowed on eight targets, per PFF, for 16 scoreless receiving yards in total.

The Patriots’ young defensive core is now clearly defined, with Gonzalez, Jones, and Williams the clear leaders. The team would also be crazy not to extend Chaisson after the former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars absolutely crushed his one-year, prove-it contract with the team this season.

Woodson, the first defensive player drafted by the team in 2025, is quickly ascending into that top tier himself. As a Day 3 pick, he’s developing into the kind of game-changer that should have Patriots fans believing that this whirlwind 2025 ride is no fluke.