No NFL team spent more in 2025 free agency than the New England Patriots, with defensive tackle Milton Williams, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and pass rusher Harold Landry III headlining a class with over $360 million in total potential contract value, per Over the Cap.
Several of those new Patriots have already made strong impressions by stuffing the box score through five games. Veteran linebacker Robert Spillane, for example, leads the team in both solo tackles (25) and run-stuffs (16). Williams and Landry have proven they can affect the passer with a combined six sacks and 38 total QB pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
The beauty of Mike Vrabel’s group entering Week 6 is that the contributions are coming from all over the roster, especially on a defense that’s had a ton of moving parts through five games.
In fact, you could argue that one of the team’s most impactful players through five games has been a former seventh-round pick the majority of Patriots fans had never heard of back in March.
Unsung Patriots defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga is carving out a pivotal role in Mike Vrabel’s defense
Nobody was talking about Tonga when the Patriots signed him to a $2.1 million contract on March 10. The massive nose tackle had been little more than a gap-stuffing role player throughout his previous stops in Chicago, Minnesota, and Arizona.
Six months later, it's almost impossible not to notice big No. 95 and his flowing black hair whenever he gets on field.
Through five games, you could argue that no Patriots defender has done more with limited opportunities than Tonga, who’s seen 122 total snaps and ranks second on the team with a 74.3 overall PFF grade. He’s been stout against the rush with four total stuffs, including two big ones in New England’s upset win over the Bills last week.
Random thought watching the Pats run defense: The NT, Khyiris Tonga, was sensational vs a very good Bills IOL
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 6, 2025
More surprising has been Tonga’s work on passing downs, as he ranks top-15 among NFL interior defensive linemen in pass-rush win rate. Entering Week 6 in New Orleans, he’s posted four pressures, three hurries, and one QB hit in 19 true pass-rush sets, per PFF.
There’s clearly something brewing here with Tonga, and it started back in the summer when Vrabel named him one of the team’s offseason award winners. He’s been on the field for less than half of the team’s defensive snaps on the season, but saw a season-high 28 against the Bills last week and looks firmly ahead of both Cory Durden and Joshua Farmer in the defensive line rotation.
Mike Vrabel says Khyiris Tonga moves better than the HC initially expected and that he loves the person
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 26, 2025
Noted Tonga saw an increase in snaps last week and that the team needs to get the NT on the field more
The Patriots entered 2025 with some serious question marks on the defensive interior, from Barmore’s lingering health issues, to Williams’s chops as a true three-down player, to the team’s decision to cut ties with veteran Davon Godchaux in a trade with the Saints.
There's no arguing with the results. New England’s defensive line group has emerged as one of the true backbones of the team, and Tonga’s presence has been a massive reason why.