Ranking Patriots' defensive tackle position
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.- The New England Patriots interior defensive line took a major hit when former 2015 first-round pick Malcom Brown signed with the New Orleans Saints this past March. The three-year, $15 million contract appeared to be too rich for the Patriots.
The Patriots offset Brown's departure by signing former Jets defensive tackle Mike Pennel and drafting Maryland defensive tackle Byron Cowart in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
New England entered the 2018 season with four defensive tackles on their active roster. As of today, the team is carrying seven defensive tackles on their 90-man roster. Which of these players will be sent home and which will be part of the journey for ring no. 7? Let's take a look at the rankings to help us find out.
7.) Ufomba Kamalu
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Ufomba Kamalu was signed to the Patriots practice squad in the middle of last season but only appeared in two games for the team, recording one tackle. New England is the second team Kamalu has played for since going undrafted in 2016. He weighs just about 300 pounds which is a bit lighter compared to other defensive tackles around the league. In 13 career games with the Texans, Kamalu recorded three sacks and five tackles for a loss. That is decent production for a defensive tackle.
Verdict: Given his height and weight, Kamalu is viewed as a tweener who has the ability to play either defensive end or defensive tackle. Bill Belichick has been trying to figure out what position best fits Kamalu's skills since they signed him this past season. If Kamalu doesn't show he can excel at either position this training camp, then his days in a Patriot jersey may be over.
6.) David Parry
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David Parry showed a great deal of promise in rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts. The former fifth-round pick started in all 16 games in the 2015 season recording 31 tackles and one sack. The following season he recorded 47 tackles and three sacks and seemed to be coming into his own. The Colts didn't seem to think so and waived the 315-pound defensive tackle before the start of the 2017 season. He went on to have short stints with the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings before signing a reserves/future contract with New England this past January.
Verdict: Parry finds himself at the bottom of the food chain heading into the 2019 season. Proven players and a younger draft pick with a higher ceiling rank ahead of Parry, so he is going to face an uphill battle to stick around on the active roster. With that being said, if Parry is able to play at the level he did early in his career then he might have an outside chance of cracking the final 53.
5.) Byron Cowart
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With the 159th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected defensive lineman Byron Cowart. Cowart projects as a three-technique defensive tackle for the team but he is a bit undersized at the position coming in at 6 foot 3, 298 pounds. Cowart was a former number one recruit coming out of high school but failed to live up to expectations at Auburn. Upset with the amount of playing time he was receiving, Cowart decided to transfer to Maryland for his senior season. That proved to be the right move as posted 38 tackles and three sacks and ended up being selected in the fifth round by New England.
Verdict: Cowart will look to compete for a reserve role in training camp. The biggest knocks on Cowart are that he is undersized and has been inconsistent throughout his playing career. The Patriots hope that they can reveal some of that potential that Cowart had shown coming out of high school, but a roster spot for the fifth round draft pick is by no means guaranteed.
4.) Danny Shelton
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"It's gotta be the hair cotton. It's beautiful! Feathered and lethal, you just don't see it nowadays."
Alright, Dodgeball quotes aside Danny Shelton is an absolute beast of a man who eats double teams for breakfast. The 6 foot 2, 344-pound defensive tackle graded as the 27th interior defensive linemen in the league last year but struggles to see the field late last season. Shelton was a healthy scratch for three straight games one of which was the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Shelton bounced back in a major way in the Super Bowl playing one of his greatest games of the 2018 season.
Verdict: Being a healthy scratch down the stretch of last season is definitely a cause for concern. Were the Patriots not confident in Shelton's ability? Did he have issues grasping the team's gameplan? Whatever it was, look for Shelton to correct it in 2019. If he doesn't he could lose his roster spot to guys like Cowart or Parry.
3.) Adam Butler
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From undrafted free agent to key defensive player. Doesn't it feel like we've heard this story before? Ada Butler is just another player you can add to that long list for New England. The former Vanderbilt Commodore recorded three sacks this past season while playing just under 37% of the team's defensive snaps. Butler was a constant force all last season and continues to progress into a three-down player who makes an impact in both the run and pass game.
Verdict: Bulter projects as a rotational player among the defensive tackles and will likely be competing for reps with Shelton. It's worth noting that Butler is entering the final year of his rookie contract this season, so expect him to play some of his best football in his pursuit of a big contract in free agency.
2.) Mike Pennel
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Mike Pennel might just be the most underrated signing in all of free agency. It doesn't seem that fans understand that he was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the entire NFL last season. If you didn't know that it's probably because other NFL franchises were unaware as well. Pennel graded out as the 14th best interior defensive linemen in 2018 but only received a two-year contract worth up to $5 million. Those contract numbers might make Pennel the greatest steal of free agency.
Verdict: Don't expect the 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle to stuff the stat sheet. While Pennel failed to record a sack or TFL all of last season, he made his presence felt by constantly taking on double teams which allowed linebackers to run free in pursuit of the ball carrier. Pennel will be an unsung hero for the Patriots whose name will likely go uncalled throughout a television broadcast, but just know he makes the lives of the defenders around him a whole lot easier.
1.) Lawrence Guy
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Lawrence Guy is another player that you should not expect to put of gaudy defensive stats but again don't let that fool you. Guy was one of the best interior defensive linemen in all of football last year grading 10th among all players at his position. He played a pivotal role in holding First-Team All-Pro running back, Todd Gurley to just 35 yards in the Super Bowl. It's safe to say that the former Baltimore Raven has been nothing short of spectacular since signing a four-year, $20 million contract with New England in 2017.
Verdict: Guy projects as the number one defensive tackle on the team heading into the 2019 season. With Pennel and Guy anchoring the middle, the Patriots might just have one of the best interior defensive lines in all of football.
