3 Patriots on the Chopping Block After New Defensive Coordinator Hire

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is slowly assembling his coaching staff for the 2025 season. On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Patriots are expected to hire Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator, bringing him back to New England for the third time.

With the offensive coordinator position squared away, Vrabel turned his attention to the defense and will bring one of his former coaches from Tennessee to be his next defensive coordinator. 

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Detroit Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams will be the Pats' new defensive coordinator. Williams worked with Vrabel for six seasons (2018-23) as his defensive line coach and assistant head coach.

Williams played an instrumental role in the Titans’ run defense, while also helping to develop Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Patriots fans hope he can bring that success to New England in 2025 and re-ignite this unit.

That said, a few players will be on thin ice with Williams’ arrival in Foxborough. It doesn’t mean these guys will be outright cut, but they could see their playing time decrease or get traded in the offseason if said player doesn’t fit in his scheme.

1. Davon Godchaux

The Patriots expected the veteran defensive tackle to be one of the top players on the line this season after inking him to a two-year, $18 million extension in training camp. Godchaux had okay stats in 2024, recording 67 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit.

However, it wasn’t good enough as Godchaux’s advanced stats on PFF tell a different story. The 30-year-old defensive tackle had a poor pass rush grade (55.8 – ranked 152nd out of 219 qualified d-linemen), though that's partially expected given his skillset.

But New England likely expected more from Godchaux in the run defense department. The vet defender had a disappointing 48.0 run defense grade in 2024 (good for 135th out of 219 qualified defensive linemen).

In 2023, Godchaux had a 51.6 run defense and 50.0 pass rush grades, making this season a bit of a disappointment on multiple levels. Williams has had solid defensive tackles in his last two stops, whether it's Alim McNeil and Levi Onwuzurike in Detroit or Simmons in Tennessee.

This season, McNeil had a 64.5 run defense grade (ranked 35th among 219 qualified defensive linemen) and 45 pressures (15th among 219 d-linemen). Meanwhile, Onwuzurike recorded a 64.1 run defense grade (ranked 41st) and 45 pressures.

The 27-year-old Onwuzurike is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and would be the perfect addition to the Patriots’ defense. With uncertainty around the health of Christian Barmore and Godchaux’s lack of production, we could see some changes on the line in the next few months.