The New England Patriots have a strong track record over one season under Mike Vrabel in developing defensive linemen. Last year, New England found strong production from the depth of their defensive line, including Cory Durden and Khyiris Tonga.
In the wake of injuries, rookies Josh Farmer and Eric Gregory played roles, and when they went down, Leonard Taylor was a strong fill-in.
The Patriots put themselves in a strong position by stopping the run last season. Tonga, however, departed in free agency, while Farmer and Gregory both ended 2026 with injuries. Former five-star recruit Travis Shaw was signed as a UDFA, but he was released in July. This week, the team further added to its corps of defensive linemen by signing Casey Rogers.
Rogers, 27, played his college ball at Nebraska and Oregon before going undrafted in 2024. Signed by the Giants, he spent most of the season with the practice squad, playing just 42 total snaps as a rookie. He's played only two snaps since then.
While Rogers is deep in the depth chart, he has the qualities of a player who could make a difference when the going gets tough late in the season.
Casey Rogers could be an asset late in the season for the Patriots
Rogers hasn't played much meaningful NFL football, but he does have preseason games with the Giants and Bills to go off of. In 143 defensive snaps, Rogers managed five stops across two preseason campaigns.
Furthermore, Rogers spent his spring in the UFL. While his time with the DC Defenders isn't necessarily representative of his potential NFL future, it does offer insight into his strengths. He finished the year with a pair of sacks from 372 snaps with a 7.2% pressure rate. He had seven stops while being penalized once.
Those numbers aren't dissimilar from his collegiate stats, when he finished his five-year career with six sacks and an 8.2% pressure rate.
It seems bold to say Rogers will emulate Cory Durden's 2025 season, but both are Giants castoffs. Durden's production in limited snaps was strong at the beginning of the year, earning him a larger role as the season went on.
New #Patriots defensive tackle Casey Rogers vs. Corey Durden. Rogers is no doubt the better athlete, but Durden showed that matters less given his production last season. One thing to keep in mind is their explosion grades: both very high. Could serve Rogers well. pic.twitter.com/h9cspB8God
— Graham Wilker (@GrahamWilker1) August 4, 2026
Furthermore, the aforementioned Gregory and Taylor were major pieces to the team's defensive line down the stretch, as was Jeremiah Pharms, who was elevated from the practice squad to play in three games, playing 20+ defensive snaps in two of them.
If Rogers can have a strong August, he could find himself on the practice squad, which could very well see him have opportunities later in the season. It isn't uncommon for defensive tackles to improve as they age, and Rogers could be the next example of that.
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