New England Patriots: Ja’Whaun Bentley a key part of defense in 2020
By Sam Minton
The New England Patriots defense will determine how succesfull they are and a key player will be Ja’Whaun Bentley.
In 2019, the New England Patriots defense was dominant. If the team wants to be succesfull in 2020 they will need the defense to be strong once again.
Luckily the Patriots have a lot of important players returning. Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty, and Dont‘a Hightower will be leading the way.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
But the success of the Patriots defense will depend on the “lesser” known guys. The players who add depth to the roster. Jonathan Jones will help out in the secondary and you also have Chase Winovich, Deatrich Wise, and John Simon upfront.
At linebacker, a key player to watch will be Ja’Whaun Bentley. He has the ability to become the leader on defense in the future.
Bentley has a great knack for finding the ballcarrier. He burst onto the scene in his rookie season but injuries ended his campaign before we got to see what he was truly made of.
Last season Bentley played rather well for the Patriots. He only started in 2 games but made appearances in all of New England’s 16 regular season games. Bentley ended the season with 44 tackles.
While guys like Hightower are known for getting to the quarterback, Bentley focuses on getting to the ballcarrier.
Hopefully, we will see Bentley get some more tackles and become a leader on defense. The Patriots will definitely need him to be.
Hightower has dealt with his fair share of injury problems. At 30 years old, Hightower is closer to retirement than you may think. A lot of linebackers are retiring at a young age (the latest example being Luke Kuechly).
Next. 3 Eagles players to explore in a Joe Thuney trade. dark
With guys like Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts now gone, the Patriots will need Bentley to step it up. It appears that he is ready for the challenge that lies ahead in 2020.