The New England Patriots focused strongly on retooling the defense this offseason, parting ways with many established players from the former regime, with head coach Mike Vrabel adding the players that he knows will fit in his system, most of whom have already played for Vrabel in the past.
The Patriots specifically added to the defensive line, as they’re looking to have a stronger pass-rushing attack with Vrabel running the show in New England. They’ve added Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga, and drafted Joshua Farmer and Bradyn Swinson.
With New England’s new defensive concepts, they’ve added Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson to be pass-rushers who can get sacks and Robert Spillane to be the leader of the defense.
Patriots Need to Keep Anfernee Jennings for Next Season
The way things went during OTAs and minicamp, Anfernee Jennings could be on the roster bubble heading into the season, and it doesn’t make much sense as to why he’s falling down in the depth chart and not working much with the first defensive group, as Karen Guregian noted.
“During OTAs and minicamp, however, Jennings appears to have fallen way down in the depth chart. He’s been nowhere near the first or second unit. His precipitous drop is curious, to say the least. He doesn’t fall into the ladder category, with most captains from the recent past being shipped out. Based on his usage, or lack thereof, Jennings could be a prime cut candidate.”
Jennings hasn’t necessarily lived up to the expectations of being drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but he is a good football player who can do a lot of things well for this new and improved defense.
In 2024, Jennings started 16 games and finished third on the team with 78 tackles, and he had the least amount of missed tackles out of the other two top linebackers from last season, with Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss:
- Jahlani Tavai: 115 tackles (8 missed, 6.5%)
- Christian Elliss: 80 tackles (6 missed 7.0%)
- Anfernee Jennings: 78 tackles (4 missed, 4.9%)
Jennings also had the most pressures (14) and hits on the quarterback (9) out of any of the linebackers in New England last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Jennings’ 56 solo tackles ranked first in the NFL out of 211 edge defenders.
During his time in New England, Jennings has showcased more as a run-stopper than a pass-rusher. But in this new defensive system, he’ll need to be able to get to the quarterback more than he’s ever done before.
Jennings is strong and physical and does a great job of setting the edge and not allowing runners to turn the corner to get upfield. He ranked third with 41 total stops and seventh with 15 total assists last year.
With the right coaching, Jennings could prove to be a valuable edge defender this season. He has the aggressive qualities and overall stature that Vrabel likes in his linebackers.
Although Jennings didn’t get much work with the first defensive unit during OTAs and minicamp, it’s fair to say that the jury is still out on Jennings until the pads come on in training camp. He’s the type of player in a position that requires legitimate live reps to truly evaluate what he can bring to the table for this team.
I believe Jennings will have a role on the Patriots this season. He just needs the opportunity to prove himself to the new coaching staff in training camp.