Although the New England Patriots received a loss to begin the 2025 season as the Mike Vrabel era in New England officially got underway, there was still a positive outlook to take away from this game, knowing that the new defensive additions debuted well.
The Patriots featured seven new starters along the defense in Week 1, and although it wasn’t perfect, it was still the silver lining of the game for this new and improved Patriots team.
There were too many big plays allowed, but the Patriots' defense finished with 10 tackles for loss, nine pressures, five pass deflections, and four sacks. They allowed two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing.
Here are some of the new defensive players that stood out in Week 1.
Milton Williams
The largest free agent acquisition of the offseason was the Patriots signing Milton Williams to a $104 million contract, and it's also the largest free agent signing in team history.
In his team debut, Williams finished with only two tackles, but he also led the team with six pressures and five hurries while being the main cog along the defensive line.
Williams played 49 snaps (77 percent).
Harold Landry
Harold Landry shone in his Patriots debut, totaling three sacks and five pressures coming off the edge of the defense. His veteran presence on the field in this new scheme really showed why Vrabel made it a point to sign him in the offseason.
Landry signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract as a free agent for the first time in his career after being drafted in 2018 by Vrabel, when he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
He logged 48 total snaps (75 percent).
Craig Woodson
#Patriots rookie safety Craig Woodson communicating with the defense and then coming in to make the play. The fourth round rookie is the team’s starting safety after an offseason roster shakeup. pic.twitter.com/pswpn2FNul
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) September 8, 2025
Rookie fourth-round draft pick Craig Woodson was given the Week 1 starting nod. He finished second on the team with seven tackles, and he had two for a loss.
Woodson logged 72 total snaps in the game: 63 on defense (98 percent) and nine special teams plays (31 percent).
The rookie proved to be the better option at safety for what the new defensive scheme entails. I’m not saying he was perfect, but he didn’t do anything problematic, and he saved a few plays by making key tackles that others missed.