Without a doubt, the defensive tackle room was the New England Patriots best position group last season. Led by starters Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, along with backups Khyiris Tonga, Cordy Durden, Joshua Farmer, and Eric Gregory, the unit played a critical role in the franchise’s success against the run, ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed (101.7).
Even with Tonga departing via free agency, the group is still New England’s best, given their star power and quality depth. Despite this, rumors from ESPN’s Jordan Reid and comments from Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf suggested that the franchise would add to the position in the draft.
However, this never materialized, as the Patriots didn’t use any of their nine selections to reinforce the unit. Instead, the front office prioritized bolstering their more pivotal needs–such as edge rusher, tackle, and linebacker.
With no added competition, defensive tackle Eric Gregory can breathe a sigh of relief, as his standing as a depth player remains, for the time being.
Eric Gregory Retains Backup Role After 2026 NFL Draft
At this time last year, Gregory was an undrafted free agent patiently waiting for a team to take a chance on him. His wish finally came true in the second week of May, as he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
While he initially made the team’s 53-man roster, Gregory, 25, was waived and was claimed by the Patriots the following day. Since the position was jam-packed, Gregory couldn't crack the rotation, but once Williams and Farmer went down, New England leaned on him.
The former Arkansas Razorbacks standout made the most of his opportunity, clearly impressing the coaching staff, and steadily received more playing time as the season went on. Overall, Gregory had a solid 2025 campaign, recording eight tackles and three hurries across 136 snaps.
Unfortunately for Gregory, his season ended abruptly after a leg injury in the wild-card round. Although he wasn’t able to generate much pressure in the interior, he was a steady contributor against the run, logging three stops, which helped earn him a 68.6 run defense grade, per Pro Football Focus.
Even though the Patriots didn’t add another defensive tackle in the draft, Gregory still has to earn his keep. While he was a reliable rotational defender, he’s done so on a limited sample size, and he is in no position to rest on his laurels.
After his performance in the second half of the season, Durden has likely secured his spot as the Patriots’ primary backup. That leaves Gregory battling with Farmer for the final backup spot.
Currently, Farmer has the edge over Gregory, given that New England invested a fourth-round pick on the 23-year-old in last year’s draft. Although he had an underwhelming rookie season, he’ll be given a chance at redemption.
If Gregory is to beat out Farmer, he’ll have to improve as a pass rusher. Improving his interior pressure will give him the upper hand over Farmer, who received an abysmal 53.4 pass-rushing grade, per PFF.
Training camp will ultimately decide Gregory’s fate in the rotation, but for now, he should take some comfort knowing the Patriots didn’t draft another defensive tackle. The decision puts him in a position to become a long-term contributor to New England’s defense, so long as he develops into a versatile defender.
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