The New England Patriots entered 2026 free agency with several needs. Their offensive line still needs an overhaul. Their edge position is ultra-thin, and they needed to add to the wide receiver, running back, tight end, and linebacker positions as well. One position that was little suggested as a need was safety.
Yet, the Patriots surprisingly signed one of the NFL's best in Kevin Byard III, and he's now being called one of the first week of free agency's biggest steals.
If you're going to surprise in free agency, getting an All-Pro, no matter what position he plays, is definitely the way to do so. Byard was a 2025 first-team All-Pro, and he led the NFL in interceptions with seven.
Byard will add more talent to an already sound defensive backfield that can also boast Pro Bowler Christian Gonzalez, top corner Carlton Davis III, slot corner Marcus Jones, and now second-year safety Craig Woodson. It's arguably as good as it gets in the NFL.
Kevin Byard adds the interception element to the Patriots' defense
Interceptions are game-changing turnovers, and having the best guy who does that in the NFL is never a bad idea. The last Patriot to have seven or more was J.C. Jackson in 2021, so it's been five years since they had anyone that proficient in that statistic.
Accordingly, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport calls the Patriots' signing of veteran safety Byard for $9M, one of the 10 biggest steals of the first week of free agency.
"In 10 professional seasons, veteran safety Kevin Byard III has made the Pro Bowl and been named a first-team All-Pro three times—including in 2025. Last year, the 32-year-old logged 93 total tackles and tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. It marked the second time that Byard has paced the NFL in interceptions, and he has logged more than 100 total tackles four times in 10 professional seasons.
The Patriots needed to add a ballhawk on the back end. Byard has tallied 36 career picks, and getting a veteran defensive leader on a relatively modest one-year deal was an excellent acquisition."
Mike Vrabel and his support team put together a masterpiece of an offseason in 2025, not only in free agency, which was a smashing success, but also in the draft, which was another knockout.
He also added two top undrafted free agents, Efton Chism III and Lan Larison, who'll likely be heard from in 2026. The result was an unexpected run all the way to the Super Bowl.
Free agency thus far has mixed results. The grade is about a B, with Byard's signing raising that metric significantly. If he can perform the same takeaway magic for the Patriots in 2026 as he did last season in Chicago, things will be looking up in the defensive secondary.