Free agency is in full swing, and the New England Patriots have made some splashes. Mike Vrabel is a defensive guy, and he's already improved his D by leaps and bounds over 2024. He's added Pro Football Focus's second-rated player at one position and fifth-rated at another.
The fifth-rated cornerback is Carlton Davis III. Davis enters from Tampa Bay, and at 28 years old, he's still in his prime. He'll partner with another stopper, second-team All-Pro Christian Gonzalez, to form a top lockdown cornerback duo for the Pats in 2025 and beyond.
Things are certainly looking up on defense, and the best addition may be only 26 years old. That's Milton Williams, defensive tackle coming aboard from the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. Let's discuss how William's addition improves the Patriots for 2025 and how he may make their defensive tackle situation fearsome.
Patriots' signing Milton Williams adds to a formidable defensive front
The Patriots' defensive tackle situation is in flux. Davon Godchaux, a space-eating tackle, was traded to the Saints for a seventh-round pick. The Pats are going toward a one-gap, more mobile, penetrating style of D-tackles in the future.
The team already has two top examples of that DT style on hand. One is Christian Barmore, who, after a breakout 2023 season, unfortunately experienced a 2024 filled with medical concerns. Barmore's status is uncertain, but he'll hopefully fully recover and be ready to participate in the Pats' fearsome defensive front in 2025.
Adding to opponents' problems could be third-year player Keion White. Why "could be"? That's because White was mis-deployed during his first two seasons by Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo in a defensive end/edge role on far too many plays. White is a penetrating defensive tackle, first and foremost. He may have been the Pats' best edge in 2024, but his best position is inside.
Hopefully, Head Coach Mike Vrabel "gets it' and will utilize this tremendous weapon inside in a gap where he is unblockable by two offensive linemen on most plays, as is his linemate, Christian Barmore, when fit. If he does, good things will happen. And now, the Patriots have Milton Williams.
Patriots defensive tackles will wreak havoc on opponents in 2025
Assuming Vrabel is in tune with this thinking, then the Patriots' interior defensive line will be formidable. If Barmore is unfortunately sidelined, then Williams and White can be the anchors of a D-line and a defense that will still be formidable in 2025.
Williams is another top D-tackle added, and if properly used, White has Pro Bowl or better potential. It's a duo that will be fierce. If Barmore is also available, that trio will be an absolute nightmare for any and all NFL offenses.
There are two major questions. One, will Barmore, whose potential was so evident in 2023, be healthy (the first and most important hope, absent any football concerns) and able to suit up in 2025? The other is, will Vrabel and new Defensive Coordinator Terrell Williams realize that Keion White is an interior D-lineman and not an edge? If both happen, the Patriots' 2025 interior defensive line will be superb.
Should Christian Barmore be on the shelf for any length of time, then Patriot Nation should not despair. Williams and White will be as good a defensive tackle tandem as any in the NFL. Add the proposition that the team should and hopefully will add another penetrating DT in an earlier round in the draft, and the prospects remain rosy.
Adding Milton Williams is a positive for Mike Vrabel and his new Patriots. With a healthy Christian Barmore and a re-deployed Keion White, plus a draft pick, the Patriots' defense won't be lacking upfront against any NFL offense. Hello, Buffalo Bills. We'll be seeing 'ya.