Patriots' 6 Biggest Priorities After 2024 Minicamp

5. Put all the pressure on the defense

The defense is going to be the strength of this Patriots team once again in 2024. Even with the departure of Bill Belichick, it should be expected that Jerod Mayo can keep some semblance of continuity on that side of the ball and along with that continuity will come some tremendous pressure.

The defense has to be the identity of this Patriots team in 2024 as they work toward finding the team's identity offensively.

The Patriots are going to be fast and physical at every level in 2024, but the return of Christian Gonzalez at the cornerback position could give the team the substantial upgrade it needs to truly take the next step toward being a truly elite unit.

Gonzalez was limited to four games in his rookie year but he's been one of the biggest focal points of the offseason this year for the Patriots and has been impressive once again this offseason. Having that kind of playmaker at the cornerback position is really the missing piece from this New England defense. The Patriots are deep on the defensive front and were already extremely tough last year in third-down defense (6th) and red zone defense (6th).

Having a level of dominance on that side of the ball is going to allow the Patriots to be in close games all season and give either Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye (or both) a chance to make plays in clutch moments, regardless of how they may struggle for the first three quarters.