New England Patriots
Milton Williams was dominant. Christian Barmore showed upside. Do the Patriots have enough depth behind them without Khyiris Tonga?
Milton Williams has logged 5.5 sacks in regular season and postseason play this year. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
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Patriots 2026 position preview: Linebackers edition
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ESPN ranks A.J. Brown as a top-10 wide receiver
Welcome to Boston.com’s Patriots position preview series. As we count down the days heading into training camp, we’ll take a look at where the Patriots stand at each position using key stats and observations from spring workouts. You can find our preview on the Patriots’ quarterbacks, wide receivers, tight ends, running backs, offensive line, linebackers and defensive backs here.
Players: Dre’Mont Jones, Leornard Taylor III, Christian Barmore, David Blay Jr., Cory Durden, Joshua Farmer, Eric Gregory, Jeremiah Pharms Jr. Travis Shaw, Milton Williams
Football teams reveal their priorities through the people they decide to pay, and two of the top-five highest paid Patriots are interior defensive linemen.
Williams and Barmore got into the backfield consistently, generating a combined 86 pressures last season. Opposing quarterbacks had to deal with plenty of pressure up the middle, which certainly made life more difficult.
The Patriots also returned to their dominance against the run. They gave up 131.4 rushing yards per game in 2024. In 2025, they trimmed that number down significantly and finished in the top-six for the third time in four seasons.
New England lost Khyiris Tonga in free-agency, but the bulk of this group returns for another run in Foxborough. Here’s where they stand heading into free-agency.
Key Stats:
- The Patriots gave up 101.7 rushing yards per game last season, the sixth-best mark in the league.
- New England had 35 sacks as a team, putting them 24th in the league.
- Williams recorded a pressure rate of 9.6 percent, the third-best mark among interior defensive linemen.
- Barmore was seventh among defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate, notching 23 wins in 221 attempts.
- The Patriots allowed 18.8 points per game, good for fourth in the league.
Strengths: Barmore and Williams are one of the NFL’s top interior defensive line tandems because of their pass-rush abilities.
It’s difficult to quantify their impact entirely with numbers. The attention they draw, the holes they close, the physicality they play with doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet.
They combined for 5.5 sacks, but they brought much more to the table. The Patriots are big, strong, agile, and physical up front. They’ve also got some depth.
Durden played well down the stretch and seems to be on his way to earning a bigger role for this upcoming season. Farmer made some plays as a rookie. Taylor blocked a kick against the Broncos that help seal the AFC title game victory.
This group has shown that it can stuff the run and generate plenty of pressure up the middle.
Weaknesses: The Patriots lack depth on the edge. Harold Landry dealt with knee issues last year that slowed him down and caused him to miss much of the spring practices. Gabe Jacas is the only unsigned second-round pick in this year’s draft class. Jones is a newcomer, and he’ll replace K’Lavon Chaisson who had a breakout year last year.
Barmore played in all 17 games last season after missing most of 2024 with blood clots, which was important for the team. However, it’s not quite clear if he’ll return to his 2023 form when he posted 64 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and six passes defensed.
Without Tonga, the Patriots lose depth at the position. He had carved out a unique role, playing defensive tackle while also taking snaps as a fullback. His size and physicality helped the Patriots get to where they were last season.
Observations from OTA/Minicamp:
- Durden has a shot at a bigger role this season as the Patriots continue to build their depth behind Barmore and Williams on the interior.
- Head coach Mike Vrabel said he’d like to see Barmore finish more plays. “Some of those plays that he had in the backfield around the quarterback, instead of being disruptive, being able to finish those, because he did that a lot,” Vrabel said of the pressure that Barmore generated.
2026-27 Outlook: This group should be one of the best units on a really good team.
Williams played at an elite level last season, and should be in his prime at age 27. Barmore, 26, showed how disruptive he can be, but he has another level to reach in terms of his production.
Depth will be key here — the defense did not look the same when Williams was out for several weeks with a high ankle sprain.
New England has one of the best interior defensive line tandems in the NFL. They’re not quite as strong on the edge, but overall this defensive line should once again show flashes of dominance.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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