Room for Improvement: Are the Patriots Good Enough Off The Edge?

FOXBORO --- The New England Patriots' edge rushers leave room to be desired.

In the past two years, the team has signed veterans Harold Landry (three years, $43.5 million) and Dre'Mont Jones (three years, $36.5 million), plus used a second round pick this offseason to draft University of Illinois product Gabe Jacas.

Even still, the group may be New England's least impressive on paper. So, for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, is the room still good enough to compete?

Here are the arguments for, and against, the group being good enough to roll with in 2026.

For: A Healthy Group in 2026 May Have Just Enough

With a two-man wrecking crew on the interior defensive line in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, an elite group of edge rushers may be more of a luxury for the Patriots than a necessity. With that, the EDGE group may have just enough talent to squeak by this season.

While the jump to the NFL is a massive step up, the Patriots willingness to trade up in the draft to select Jacas shows their confidence in his abilities. The 22-year-old was uber-productive with the Fighting Illini, finishing with 19 sacks across his final two collegiate seasons.

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois defensive lineman Gabe Jacas (DL44) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jacas practiced with the Patriots for the first time on Saturday as a limited participant after opening camp on the non-football injury list.

Landry tallied 5.5 sacks through New England's first seven games of last season. However, he saw a significant drop in production following a knee injury. If the 30-year-old is ready to go for the season-opener in Seattle on Sept. 9, and is able to stay healthy throughout the year, he could tally double-digit sacks for the third time of his career.

The Patriots made a statement when letting K'Lavon Chaisson walk in free agency in favor of signing Jones. Chaisson finished the regular season with 7.5 sacks, and added an additional three in the postseason. However, New England passed up on him in favor of Jones. Chaisson later went on to the Commanders on a one-year, $11 million deal.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Dre'Mont Jones (45) exits the field after their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The willingness to sign Jones to a larger contract than Chaisson shows the Patriots' confidence in the 29-year-old, who tallied a career-high seven sacks last season.

New England also has 2025 undrafted free agent Elijah Ponder, who has played opposite of Jones on the starting defense through seven days of training camp. Ponder had four sacks last year as a rookie.

"I think we've got a lot of guys that (are) going to take advantage of the opportunity," Mike Vrabel said on July 24, prior to the start of camp. "They're going to earn reps and continue to improve."

Against: Too Many Question Marks

The Patriots are looking to add to their trophy case in 2026. In previous years, a top-tier pass rush has proven to be a significant contributor in doing so.

Drake Maye looked like a shell of himself against the Seahawks' pass rush in Super Bowl LX. The year prior, the Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times en route to a 40-22 victory. The list goes on.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (center right) forces a fumble by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As it stands, New England lacks star power at the position. Plus, the team's top contributors in the room also come with major questions surrounding them.

It is always a tall task to bank on a rookie to be an immediate contributor. In Jacas' case, that becomes even larger of a task as he was not in the building from rookie minicamp until after the start of training camp, due to a contract holdout and recovery from a knee procedure.

Landry opened camp on the physically unable to perform list, and is entering his age-30 season. His current status is unknown, and there is a possibility he will not be healthy for the beginning of the year.

Sep 14, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Harold Landry III (2) celebrates with linebacker Marte Mapu (15) and linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (44) after sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jones was the Patriots' big free agency signing at EDGE this offseason, yet he has never hit double-digit sacks in a season.

While the room has some serviceable pieces, the "what-ifs" involving Jacas' adjustment to the NFL, Landry's health and a jump in Jones' production, feel too big to be ignored.

The Verdict: Go Big or Go Home

A Super Bowl window is only open for so long. The Patriots should go all-in while having Drake Maye on a cost-controlled contract, and core veterans such as A.J. Brown and Hunter Henry continue to get older.

If New England looked toward signing a free agent, former number one overall draft choice Jadeveon Clowney is still yet to be signed. The 33-year-old notched 8.5 sacks last season with the Cowboys.

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (42) and Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson (6) tackle New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Patriots could also look to strike a deal with the Giants for 2022 fifth-overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has been rumored to be on the trade block. Thibodeaux tallied 11.5 sacks in his sophomore season, but has since combined for just nine across the past two years.

While New England has a good combination of established veterans and younger talents at EDGE, the group lacks a true difference-maker.

For a Patriots team coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the team's standard should be above where its edge rusher group currently projects.

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