New England Patriots: Ranking team’s top 5 defenders pre-training camp
2. Michael Bennett
It’s probably unfair to rank any newcomer as the No. 2 defensive player on the team, but the type of force Michael Bennett could be along the New England Patriots defensive line replaces that of Trey Flowers.
Yes, Flowers is younger with more upside, but Bennett brings toughness and attitude to the Patriots pass rush that has been missing for some time. While he is past the prime of his career, the 33-year-old Bennett is still a force to be reckoned with. In 2018, he combined for 34 tackles while terrorizing opposing quarterbacks for 9.0 sacks. That sack total would’ve been tops on the Patriots last season.
Related Story. Michael Bennett goes from Patriots hater to lover. light
Despite some off-the-field drama that should be held in check in Foxboro, Bennett does bring leadership and should serve as a mentor to the young edge rushers on the team like Deatrich Wise Jr., Derek Rivers and 2019 third-round pick Chase Winovich.
That value, along with what he can still do on the field ranks him as one of the top New England Patriots defensive players going into training camp for what he can do against the run and his ability to get to the passer on a consistent basis.