The New England Patriots had one of the stoutest defenses all season. While some may cite New England's easy schedule for its defensive successes, its ascension has been due to a multitude of factors.
Free-agent signings Milton Williams and Robert Spillane have been pivotal to their success, while Carlton Davis was excellent during their playoff run. Harold Landry led the team with 9.5 sacks, and K'Lavin Chaisson had a breakout year with 7.5 sacks.
Aside from the success of Spillane, the Patriots' linebacker room was also quite solid down the stretch. After a tough start to the season, Christian Elliss came into his own, finishing the year with 94 tackles, while Jack Gibbens had 81. Jahlani Tavai played a far more limited role than in previous years, but still had 42 in total.
While the group found success towards the end of the year, the Patriots should make an addition to complement Spillane. One thing New England struggled with in a major way in '25 was defending tight ends. Ideally, New England could add a coverage backer in the draft, but according to ESPN's Ben Solak, 2026 isn't the best year to draft a linebacker.
The struggle to cover tight ends is all too apparent as Dawson Knox had two touchdowns today. This isn’t a new issue: it’s actually their biggest defensive problem🥴 #Patriots #nevsbuf pic.twitter.com/LHxXF2l7rv
— Graham Wilker (@GrahamWilker1) December 14, 2025
Could the Patriots look to free agency instead?
Solak cites the NFL Draft as being a great time to snag a difference maker in the top-ten at the position (Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles of Ohio State), but not so good a time to need a difference maker who isn't one of the Buckeyes.
If true, the Patriots may need to think outside the box to improve their second level. It seems unlikely they'll look to add Devin Lloyd, who, while being by far the best free agent available, would also be among the most expensive.
The Patriots need an addition, but paying Lloyd $18 million or so seems like a misuse of resources.
Leo Chenal of the Chiefs could be an excellent addition should he hit the open market, while one of my favorite under-the-radar candidates has been Troy Andersen of the Atlanta Falcons. A former second-round pick from Montana State, he's a spectacular athlete who has been limited due to injuries. A prove-it deal could pay Zack Baun-level dividends.
The 2026 NFL Draft may not be the best for linebackers
The draft seems like the most likely place New England might add a linebacker. Beyond Reese and Syles, Georgia's CJ Allen is among my favorite linebackers. He's one of the best against the run and has SEC athleticism and pedigree.
Josiah Trotter of Missouri and Taurean York of Texas A&M are other options from the conference. Trotter is just 20 years old and had an 89.2 PFF run defense grade. York is undersized at 5-foot-10, but he had a 90.8 PFF coverage grade this season.
Jack Golday of Cincinnati is one of CFB's best run defenders, with a sub-10% missed tackle rate and a 90.6 grade against the run. Anthony Hill of Texas is more versatile as a coverage option, while conference-mate Deontae Lawson (Alabama) is a more traditional stand-up linebacker.
Recently, Kyle Louis of Pitt impressed during the Senior Bowl. Jacob Rodriguez was fifth in Heisman voting, receiving 17 first-place votes.
New England is in need of a coverage backer, so looking to York, Hill, or Louis seems the most sensible. All are projected to be Day 2 picks, of which the Patriots have two. Using one of them to solidify the second level and ideally neutralize the seam threat would be wise.