Our second part of the BSJ Combine Recap turns our attention to the defensive side of the ball for New England. This past season, the Patriots finished with the eighth-ranked overall defense, allowing 295.2 yards per game. During the playoffs, the defense played a key role in advancing to the Super Bowl, as the team relegated opponents to a postseason low of just 209.7 yards per game.
Clearly, there are some patches on defense that will need to be filled this offseason. The biggest focus for New England seems to be on shoring up the edge rusher position, an area they made sure to get familiar with during their week in Indy. At this juncture, it’s looking more likely that last year’s free agent bargain, K’Lavon Chaisson, is going to be overpriced on the open market. After signing a one-year, $3M deal last offseason (max value of $5M), Chiasson is expected to command at least double that amount, if they wish to retain his services.
With Chiasson commanding the big bucks, New England could look to turn their attention towards one of the more proven veterans who have become available. Players such as Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) or Jaelan Phillips (Eagles) appear to be realistic targets. However, the Patriots made sure to get to know several edge rushers from this year’s incoming rookie crop during the combine.
New England executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged the need during his podium interview, noting “This draft offers a lot of different depth at varying areas, edge being one of them,” he said. “I think it’s a fairly deep class at that position. Obviously an area of need for our team, so it matches up nicely.”
The Patriots had formal visits with multiple pass-rushers at the combine, including potential first-round targets such as Zion Young of Missouri, Akheem Mesidor of Maimi and Cashius Howell of Texas A&M, along with Keyron Crawford of Auburn, who is considered to be in the Day 2 range (more on the edge rushers below).
When asked what he specifically looks for when identifying fits at the edge spot, head coach Mike Vrabel provided an insightful snapshot during his meet-and-greet with the assembled media in Indy. “I think that there’s got to be a violence, there’s got to be ability to move off the football and to create some sort of disruption,” he said. “You have to be able to factor in on the quarterback, you have to be able to make plays on the football. We know the quarterback is responsible for the most turnovers in football. So, can they affect the quarterback? And then the ability to set the edge, rush and have enough coverage acumen that the few times we ask them to do it, they can do it.”
The exterior of the defensive line isn’t the only need for New England, as they could be seeking a replacement on the interior with the pending status of Christian Barmore, who is owed $10M guaranteed on March 13 and also has a legal pending matter, placing him in the same category as Stefon Diggs (will be released), as a potential cap casualty. The Patriots had formal interviews with several defensive tackles in Indianapolis, including Tyler Onyedim of Texas A&M, Nick Barrett of South Carolina, and Kaleb Proctor of Southeastern Louisiana, who enjoyed a stellar combine, coming off an impressive showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl. All of these prospects are expected to land in the middle rounds, an inkling as to when the team could look to address this need.
Another area of need figures to be at safety, as the organization is expected to let Jaylinn Hawkins test the free agent waters, although a return should not be ruled out. Wolf also elaborated on what the Patriots seek out of the position in Indy.
“First thing you have to look at is, you know, communication is so underrated at that position, I think maybe a lot of fans don’t understand that being able to communicate, set the defense, that’s something that we talked to the coaching staffs in college about and just making sure that anyone that comes in has to be able to communicate and be smart,” he stated. “But on the field, it’s, it’s the athleticism, it’s the change of direction, it’s the speed and range, the anticipation that these guys play with, are very important traits that we look for.”
One player who fits that bill is USC safety Kamari Ramsey. With a relatively loaded safety class, Ramsey could slide into the early-to-mid stages of the draft but possesses starter-caliber traits. New England also met with cornerback Avery Smith of Toldeo, a converted quarterback-turned-cornerback who is still a bit raw but has flashed sticky man coverage ability and could be viewed as an excellent mid-round value.
One last item of interest revolves around special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer, who was instrumental in the selections of Miami kicker Andy Borregales and Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby a year ago. During his time at Marshall as special teams coordinator, Springer recruited Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse out of high school. One of the premier punter prospects in this year’s draft, Stonehouse discussed his liking for Springer during his podium interview.
“I really like Jeremy Springer,” Stonehouse said. “He actually recruited me in high school. Good guy, I knew everywhere I went, I was going to be most likely a walk-on and at that point, the situation just kind of happened. He’s a cool dude. He’s very energetic. He loves what he does, and that was the draw that I had towards him.”
More than most franchises, New England places a premium on special teams, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pull the trigger on a punter such as Stonehouse in the late rounds of the draft. Now onto some of the top standouts from the week that was in Indy ….
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
The defensive tackle group was the first to partake in combine testing, as they set the tone early for what would be one of the fastest combine meets of all-time. In fact, seven-of-the-fourteen participants who opted to run clocked in under 4.90, led by undersized Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant, who timed 4.75 (with 1.68 ten-yard split). At 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, Durant falls short in the height and length departments but compensates with inane athleticism. Traditional scouts may remove Durant from their board altogether, but his get-off, burst, and bend should land him in the early Day 3 mix for a team looking to add an explosive rotational cog.
One of the more polarizing players in attendance last week was mammoth defensive tackle Caleb Banks of Florida. A run-gobbling monster in the middle, Banks measured in at 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds. He was a man amongst boys at the Senior Bowl in January, after appearing in just three games during the 2025 campaign due to a broken foot sustained early in the season. Banks turned some heads with an impressive 40-yard mark of 5.04, while leaping 32” in the vertical jump. His durability remains a concern for NFL teams, but his play has NFL scouts thinking he could have a similar two-down impact, such as Denver Broncos rookie Deone Walker.
The combine can help boost a player’s draft stock, and that is exactly what DaMonte Capehart of Clemson arrived in Indy intending to do. A five-star recruit out of high school, Capehart had a somewhat underwhelming collegiate career, starting just 12 games in five seasons. However, he flashed glimpses of his great potential during his time with the Tigers, and he reminded talent evaluators of the ability he possesses in Indianapolis. The 6-foot-5, 313-pounder ran an impressive 4.83 forty-yard dash, along with a 33.5” vertical jump, showcasing his tremendous athleticism. After his combine performance, there are sure to be plenty of NFL coaches who believe that they can ‘coach him up,’ which could move Capehart from the late Day 3 range into the mid-round equation.
Flying under the radar is small school standout Kaleb Proctor of Southeastern Louisiana. Not as large and in charge as some of his fellow draft classmates, Proctor brings a quick, explosive get-off and sly hand combat attack in the trenches. At 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds, he blazed a 4.79 forty-yard dash, adding a 33” vertical jump for good measure. One couldn’t help but notice the overwhelming amount of one-on-one battles he won during the week of East-West Shrine Bowl practice last month. He carried that momentum over to Indy and could be a surprise top 100 overall selection come April.
Top 10 Defensive Tackles (Post-Combine Rankings)
- Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
- Peter Woods, Clemson
- Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
- Caleb Banks, Florida
- Christen Miller, Georgia
- Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
- Domonique Orange, Iowa State
- Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
- Zane Durant, Penn State
- Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
EDGE RUSHERS
The race to the top at the edge position was in full gear in Indy, as several notable prospects stated their case to be the first one chosen. Much of the early discussion throughout the week focused on the alarmingly short arm length of Miami menace Reuben Bain, who measured in just under 31 inches in that department. Considered the most dominant player in college football this past season, NFL decision-makers must now weigh the risk/reward proposition that comes with selecting an enormously talented player with physical limitations, which no man has ever succeeded with in the NFL. It is sure to be one of the more fascinating storylines leading up to the draft.
In terms of being a pure pass-rusher,