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The New England Patriots rebuilt large parts of their defense in 2025, and the edge was no exception. There were some big investments as well as an infusion of talent to help reshape the group for the future.
That process paid some initial dividends, but as a look at the current composition of the depth chart as well as it outlook shows, more investment will be needed.
Patriots defensive edge depth chart
Harold Landry: Landry joining the Patriots after his release from the Titans looked like a foregone conclusion, and he indeed reunited with former head coach Mike Vrabel on a three-year, $43.5 million deal before the start of free agency. Voted a captain, he started strongly and picked up 5.5 sacks in his first seven games. However, a nagging knee injury limited him down the stretch and he finished the season with only 8.5 total sacks as well as a limited role during New England’s playoff run. | Signed (2028 UFA) | $16.35M cap hit
K’Lavon Chaisson: The former Jaguars first-round draft pick showed some promise during his one-year stint with the Raiders in 2024 and took another step after joining the Patriots on a one-year free agency pact. A starter on the edge opposite Landry, he finished with a team-leading 10.5 sacks and 73 quarterback pressures and also recovered a pair of fumbles, including one for a touchdown. While running hot and cold as both a pass rusher and edge-setter in the run game, he was a critical piece for New England’s defensive success in 2025. | UFA
Anfernee Jennings: With Landry and Chaisson as well as a new coaching staff coming aboard, Jennings lost the starting role he had held for the previous two seasons. However, that does not mean he had a bad season. In fact, the longest-tenured Patriot ended up playing some solid football down the stretch and with Landry limited due to injury. His pass rush upside remains limited despite 4.0 sacks and 25 total pressures, but his run defense is still top tier. | Signed (2027 UFA) | $4.87M cap hit
Elijah Ponder: In a season full of surprises, Ponder very much deserves to be shouted out as well. Joining the Patriots as a rookie free agent, he not only played his way onto the 53-man roster but in fact became a core part of the edge rotation. He finished fourth in his position group in snaps and also registered 4.0 sacks, 24 pressures. He also recovered a team-leading three fumbles for takeaways. | Signed (2028 RFA) | $1.01M cap hit
Bradyn Swinson: A fifth-round draft pick, Swinson showed some flashes as a pass rusher during his rookie training camp and preseason. They were not enough to earn him a spot on the roster, but after a stint on the practice squad served as the basis of him getting promoted to the 53-man team in mid-November. Swinson finished the year with four in-game appearances and 27 total defensive snaps. | Signed (2029 UFA) | $1.01M cap hit
In addition to those five players, the Patriots also employed Jahlani Tavai on the edge quite a bit. With most of his snaps still coming off the ball, however, he will be listed in the linebacker section of this series later in the week.
Patriots offseason preview
Even though the Patriots have four edges under contract for 2026 and a mix of experience and developmental potential, the position is arguably the biggest need on the roster right now. There are several reasons for that including Harold Landry’s age, K’Lavon Chaisson’s free agency status, the unclear projection for Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson and the group’s general inability to produce a consistent pass rush last season.
That latter point is why New England should be in the market for edge help both in free agency and fairly early in the draft. Fact is, after all, that the team finished the season with only 27 sacks between its edges — an average of only 1.3 per game.
Re-signing Chaisson and hoping for some natural development in Year 2 in the system might provide a starting point if the finances check out. However, the long-term outlook would still remain somewhat unclear and is why the team doing some intense work with the group at the Scouting Combine was no surprise: edge appears to be in play on the first two days of the draft, as it should be.
Of course, all of this might change if the team makes a blockbuster move to acquire rumored trade target Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. Given the projected cost associated with such a transaction plus the depth of the edge group particularly in the draft, however, that happening does not seem like the most realistic path forward for the Patriots at the moment.