This overlooked Patriots' position group should undergo a major overhaul in 2025

The 2024 Patriots season has now been officially consigned to the dustbin of NFL history. A season that had playoff potential, despite a truly atrocious offseason, is now officially playoff-over. After the disaster of an offseason, it was never going to be anything other than a one-and-done in the playoffs anyway.

The gist of the failure lies to a great extent in not having even one bona fide left tackle on the team and sitting your best quarterback, Drake Maye, for five games. He should have had first-team reps from the first camp. The kid can flat-out play.

Looking ahead, the defensive line has massive potential but is little spoken about. It needs a major overhaul. Fortunately, a solid duo is in place at the core. We'll explore that and the changes necessary to maximize this important unit's production.

The D-line after QB and O-line is the team's most important unit

One thing that has to be set as a foundational piece of NFL team-building is a top quarterback. The Pats have that guy in Drake Maye. Next, it's the O-line that makes everything work. The Pats have lots of work to do there this offseason. The next central cog is the D-line.

The big guys up front stop the run, pressure the passer, and make everyone else's jobs easier. For most of 2024, that wasn't happening. Now, with Christian Barmore back and Keion White deployed at times inside, good things happen. But depth is required.

Daniel Ekuale has been decent, but he's rumored to be heading out of town. Ekuale's not a game-changer. Thus far in 2024, the soon-to-be 30-year-old has 40 stops and a lone sack. He can be easily replaced. Yet big cap money is being spent on two other D-linemen who should be traded or released.

bvmsports.com notes, "The New England Patriots' defensive line has struggled this season, ranking 19th in rushing yards allowed per game and 24th in sack percentage." That says it all. The D-line's not good enough. The supposed run-stopper is nose tackle Davon Godchaux, who's had a mere 43 stops, no sacks, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit in 13 games. Making matters worse, he's on the books for a salary cap hit of $9.6M this season.

An ill-advised panic contract extension for the 30-year-old Godchaux, after Barmore's health issue arose earlier this season, now makes his release untenable in 2025. It would have a whopping dead cap hit of $10.6M. This was one of fledgling personnel head, Eliot Wolf's worst offseason moves. If any team has an interest, Godchaux should be traded for anything you can get to scrap his cap hit. If not, the Pats are stuck with him, at least for 2025.

The Pats should also move this starter and get younger in the offseason

Additionally, defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. will be 31 years old in 2025. His 2024 stats in 11 games are underwhelming. While he has a decent five sacks, his total tackles are woeful at 22. Wise has a cap hit of $8.7M this season. Added to Godchaux, that's over $18M misspent dollars. The good news is Wise is out of contract after this season. He shouldn't be re-signed.

So, who'll be playing DT in 2025? Barmore should be placed smack dab on the nose, and Keion White should start next to him in a gap. Together, they constitute a pocket-collapsing nightmare for offensive coordinators. What about depth?

If Ekuale stays, he's an adequate backup. Jeremiah Pharms Jr. is a squad player. Don't expect much production from either. The rest of the roster's DTs can be released. So, how do you augment the situation? It's through the draft. Lots of cap space should be dedicated to free-agent wide receivers and edge players. The Pats are weak at WR and have no edge players. Spend lots there.

DTs available in the draft include versatile Derrek Harmon of Oregon, likely available in the second round, and players like T.J. Sanders of South Carolina and Walter Nolen from Ole Miss. Both will be Day Two or early Day Three picks, have good size, and could provide depth. Drafting another DT later also makes sense.

That's a blueprint for how the Patriots should address their defensive line issues this offseason. Two pillars are on hand in Barmore and White. It's all about filling in behind them. The focus should be on the draft. We'll see whether the current personnel group is up to the task. Don't bank on it.

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