The New England Patriots are suddenly deep on the defensive side of the football. Here is a top 5 list of the team’s best defenders pre-training camp.
Watching the New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII brought many fans back to the teams in 2001, 2003 and 2004 that won with a defense first mentality.
With a lack of wide receiver depth due to the suspension of Josh Gordon at the end of the 2018 NFL season and a less dominant Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots had to morph into a power running team with more dependence on their defense.
That dependence on the defense will linger into the 2019 season as the defensive side of the ball is definitely the team’s strength on paper. With 2018 defensive play caller Brian Flores now serving as head coach down in Miami, Bill Belichick will call the play.
With a nice mix of veterans and younger talented players, it will be interesting to see how the defensive genius schemes it up. One thing we know is that the New England Patriots defense will not really show its hand until about midseason.
But it all begins in training camp where Belichick sees what he has, and which players can do what in different situations. While some unexpected players will emerge, there are some reliable defenders who will be a part of the mix. Here are the top 5 Patriots defensive players pre-training.
5. Patrick Chung
Have to start off with one of the most versatile defensive players on the team.
Veteran safety Patrick Chung does not do one thing great but does a few things very good for the New England Patriots.
In his second stint with the team, Chung has matured into a vocal leader on and off the field, who does whatever Bill Belichick asks him to do. Coming off a 2018 NFL season in which he combined for 84 tackles, 0.5 sacks and one interception, the Oregon product defined that safety/linebacker hybrid role the team covets.
Not only is he tough down in the box against the run, Patrick Chung typically takes on the opposing team’s top pass-catching tight end. He does lose some battles, but he wins his share of battles as well, allowing only 56.9 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed. Not bad at all for a defensive back not known for his speed.
Coming into the season at the age 32, Chung is still the team’s top strong safety and will once again serve an important role as a box-safety. He will also contribute on special teams, which makes him the type of player Belichick loves to have on the team. With a few younger defensive backs waiting in the wings, Patrick Chung will be a teacher as well.
In a league that may be trending back to the power running game, expect the value of Chung to showcase itself in 2019.
4. Kyle Van Noy
When it comes to dependable, versatile and smart football players, New England Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy jumps to the top of the list.
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In what has become one of Bill Belichick’s best trades, Van Noy has not only stepped up as one of the team’s most reliable defensive players, he has become the team’s vocal leader as well.
Overall, Kyle Van Noy is not the most athletic linebacker and could even be undersized, but he has a knack for making big plays against the run and in passing situations with his ability to rush the passer. Those attributes shined in the team’s 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
Now a two-time Super Bowl champion, Van Noy has proved all the doubters wrong and has worked his way to one of the team’s most valuable players on the defensive side of the ball because of everything he brings to the team.
If you don’t believe me, check out what Belichick said about Kyle Van Noy back in May, via NESN.
"“He’s been very durable, dependable, he’s a smart football player, he’s versatile. He can do a lot of different things defensively, in the running game, in the passing game and in the kicking game. So, he’s got a good skillset and is a smart player with experience and can fill a lot of different roles for us. It’s hard to find players like that. He’s been a valuable guy for us.”"
That value will roll into 2019 as the strength of the team has shifted to the defensive side of the ball.
3. Dont’a Hightower
As far as the last game the New England Patriots played in their Super Bowl winning season, linebacker Dont’a Hightower should be ranked even higher than this.
Given the nickname “Mr. February” by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Hightower turned it on when the games mattered the most. In the team’s 13-3 Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, Hightower broke up a pass and had two sacks on Jared Goff.
With the performance, Dont’a Hightower added to his spectacular Super Bowl resume in a season when he was thought to have lost a step. As injuries have slowed the Alabama product in his career, Hightower was named the Patriots’ most overpaid player with a cap hit of $10.9 million. While the Bleacher Report article made some good points, the three Super Bowl rings on Hightower’s fingers make him worth the money.
So, as much as his durability or lack thereof frustrate fans during the regular season, Dont’a Hightower makes up for it when the game really counts in February. As a jack-of-all-trades defender, the veteran linebacker is still one of the New England Patriots top defensive players when he is on the field.
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.
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.
1. Stephon Gilmore
There is no doubt about this one.
New England Patriots No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore continues to add to the legacy of No. 24 with elite play at the cornerback position that definitely ranks him as the top defender going into the 2019 NFL season.
Like Ty Law and Darrelle Revis during his one season in New England, Gilmore is capable of shutting down an entire side of the field giving Bill Belichick the flexibility and creativity he loves to play with in his defensive schemes.
After a superb 2018 season in which he was one of just two players named as an All-Pro, Stephon Gilmore should be even more valuable in 2019. Not only is the defense around him better, he has another year of experience under his belt in the Patriots system.
While that comfort displayed itself in 2018 going against some elite wide receivers, it should shine even more in his third season as a member of the New England Patriots. Now that the rest of the league have taken notice, we will see if he continues to stand out as a top shutdown corner.