3 free agent do-overs for Patriots from 2024

DT Christian Wilkins

Although the defense has been the better side of the team for many years now, adding a guy like Christian Wilkins would have really put the unit over the top.

Matthew Judon has been the sole pass rusher since signing with the team in 2021. Through three seasons, he has recorded 32 sacks, which has already set all-time Patriots records for the linebacker. But his absence after suffering a season-ending injury last year made it clear he needs help to get the job done.

Signing a guy like Wilkins, who has been a menace for the Patriots since he was drafted by the Dolphins in 2019, would've been a huge win and may have been their best signing since Judon. He has been as consistent as they come over the last five years and recorded the most sacks of his career in a single season in 2023 with nine.

The image of a defensive line led by Judon and Wilkins might be too good to be true, and it will continue to be that way since the former Dolphin signed a massive contract with the Raiders this offseason.

That might have been a reason for Mayo and Wolf to look the other way when evaluating the best fits for the team in free agency, but they had the cap space to afford it this year and next, so it shouldn't have been an issue.

The good thing is that Wilkins is now out of the division, so he won't be getting to Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye anytime soon. But it would have been nice if he had been playing alongside Judon instead.