New England Patriots: 4 bold predictions that will make 2022 unforgettable

2. The New England Patriots defense will have 16 interceptions

The New England Patriots let a ball hawk corner walk in free agency and may have replaced him with two, maybe three.

The secondary won’t be better without J.C. Jackson. He had 22 picks over the last four seasons, 17 over his last two. What the Patriots are at cornerback is deeper. After you get past projected starters Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones, New England has some youngsters that seem to have a nose for the ball.

Start with Marcus Jones, the third round draft pick from Houston. He has the quickness and acceleration to be an ideal slot corner. Not that he will only play inside. When the need arises, Marcus can step out on the boundary to run with smaller, faster receivers.

Next up is fellow draft classmate Jack Jones. He got a lot of reps during OTAs and Jones played well. In preseason games, he nearly picked off a pass in the New York Giants game and should have had an easy pick against the Carolina Panthers. He had two passes defended in the preseason.

The wild card is Shaun Wade, acquired via trade from the Baltimore Ravens last season. It was a year of development for the former Ohio State product as he barely played last season. What we’ve seen from Wade in the preseason is the potential to become a starting corner.

With ideal size for the position (6-1), Wade could be special if the Patriots unlock his potential. His interception against the Panthers was a thing of beauty. And if he turned his head around on a deep pass in the Giants game, Wade would have had two. He finished the preseason with two passes defended and a pick.

Add them to the more athletic linebackers, a very talented group of safeties and a pass rush that could be better than last year, and the defense will have more opportunities for errant passes. Anything off target, late or deflected could go in the other direction.