The New England Patriots revamped their safety room entirely this season, despite a pair of big names headlining the group last year. Before Week 1, Jabrill Peppers was released and subsequently signed with the Steelers, while Kyle Dugger was traded for a swap of late-round picks before the trade deadline. There's little doubt the pair had their struggles in coverage, but both were strong run defenders.
Veteran Jaylinn Hawkins has stepped up to be one of the league's best safeties, coming in as PFF's sixth-ranked safety in the league. Craig Woodson is the third-highest graded rookie safety against the run, and the 15th best overall despite playing as a deep man at Cal.
While the pair play nearly all the snaps at the position, a third player is quietly entering the fold as one of the league's best young safeties.
Second-year player Dell Pettus entered the league as a UDFA in 2024 from Troy and has since become a relevant player to the Patriots' defense. He played as a safety and slot corner last year, and had a nice game against the Bears when covering Cole Kmet. This season, he's been more of an afterthought, but he's made the most of his opportunities.
Dell Pettus looks sure to get more snaps as the Patriots' 2025 season continues
Pettus has been a stud so far this year in a limited role. When removing snap count parameters, he is rated extremely high at his position. He has a league-high 91.0 overall PFF grade, ranks tenth with an 80.2 grade against the run, and also tops the league with a 90.0 coverage grade.
It's an impressive resume, and after a fourth-down stop against the Jets on TNF to ice the game, people are starting to notice, including Mike Vrabel.
Mike Vrabel says more opportunities are coming for Dell Pettus, who’s consistently made plays when called upon on defense while being a core special teamer https://t.co/zROoli4wy2
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) November 14, 2025
Vrabel congratulated the young defensive back on his play and used him as an example for how other players struggling to find a role should play. He's made the most of his few defensive opportunities and has been an excellent special teamer for the Patriots.
Hopefully, Pettus's play isn't just a flash in the pan. He played 341 snaps last year and had a 73.9 PFF grade for the year. He was the fourth-best player at his position in the draft class during that rookie year, but with a change in staff, scheme, and the addition of rookie Woodson, he's been cut out of the defense.
Nonetheless, the high grades he's been earning might indicate a perfect fit with Vrabel and the team's new scheme. Tim will tell, but Pettus looks to be an ascending young star.