Patriots need to lean on their defense in 2023, but is it up to the challenge?

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

Bill Belichick might just enjoy that the New England Patriots are no longer in the conversation for AFC contention. The AFC East now has Josh Allen in Buffalo, Aaron Rodgers in New York and a dream-team in Miami.

How can the Patriots remain relevant?

Well, the answer has to be their defense. Maybe the offense will improve after 2022, but there’s no way that quarterback Mac Jones, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and receivers DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster are going to light the NFL aflame.

So then the question is more specific: Can this defense help the Patriots remain relevant?

A few things need to happen. And while Belichick’s brilliance has led many to think it’s a foregone conclusion that this defense will be good, I’m not so sure.

The team’s strength is on the defensive front. Ja’Whaun Bentley has gotten better and better at what he does well: old-school, off-ball, thumping linebacking. He and Jahlani Tavai are at the center of a group that includes edges Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Keion White and Deatrich Wise. It’s an impressive bunch, with plenty of production — New England tied for third in sacks in 2022 (54). Adding White, a ferocious and oversized outside linebacker, should only help the cause. The Patriots drafted him in the second round this year.

At defensive tackle, the team would love it if Christian Barmore stepped into a more dominant role, particularly as a pass-rusher. But even if he can’t, the Patriots will still get steady play from him, Lawrence Guy and Davon Godchaux.

Past those groups, New England’s defense is a little more complicated. In the secondary, the Patriots have logistics issues: Who will play where?

They have a handful of players who are young, inexperienced and/or playing a new position.

Safety Kyle Dugger seems to be the player who holds the defense together in the wake of Devin McCourty’s retirement.

“You definitely can’t replace Devin. We definitely miss him,” Dugger said. “I’ve just got to remember everything that I learned from him, everything that I picked up from playing next to him and everything he taught me when he was in our room. I think the impact he had is definitely lasting. But we can’t really replace him.”

Maybe they can’t replace McCourty. But the Patriots have to try.

They didn’t add a true free safety this offseason, which has meant that Dugger has spent a lot of time in a role that’s new to him — playing center fielder. He’s back there alone to do his impression of McCourty.

Is he ready for that?

“I’m ready,” Dugger said. “I don’t have time to not be.”

Through two practices of organized team activities, the Patriots used Jalen Mills and Dugger as free safety and box safety. New England used Jonathan Jones at safety, inside cornerback and outside cornerback. And the Patriots have promoted safety Jabrill Peppers into a more substantial box safety role — which he has referred to as “linebacker.” But the so-called linebacker did a nice job breaking up one of Jones’ passes for rookie receiver Ed Lee during practice on Tuesday.

It’s a versatile safety group. But you don’t use a Swiss army knife to cut down a tree. Sometimes it’s more practical to have the tool you need rather than one that’s supposedly all-in-one.

Mills spent almost all his time at corner last year and zero snaps at free safety. He admitted he did not expect to move to safety. But he said he has embraced the position, which he hasn’t played in New England but played at times for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“For sure, man. It gives me the ability to not only show my versatility but be around the ball a little more and make more plays,” Mills said. “It’s really on [the coaches] and the guys in the secondary. I might be out there with [Peppers] and [Dugger] and they’ll be like, ‘Hey Mills, go to nickel this drive’ or they might be like, ‘Go get on a tight end this drive’ or they might be like, ‘Go to the middle this drive.'”

There’s a wild card at safety, too. Marte Mapu, a defender whose athleticism could lend itself to safety or linebacker, could end up contributing at multiple positions this year. New England drafted him in the third round in 2023, so the Patriots might elect to give him some time to develop before getting him on the field.

First-round pick Christian Gonzalez likely won’t get the same luxury. He is almost certainly going to start on the perimeter. Jon Jones will likely be on the other outside spot. Marcus Jones, who has not practiced in team drills this offseason, and Myles Bryant will likely fight for the slot spot. And then Jack Jones will rotate at the outside spots.

All these adjustments in the secondary would typically come with a caveat: It’s OTAs, when the Patriots like to experiment most. New England hasn’t opened up competition. It is teaching players their positions — and sometimes it also means experimenting with a new one. But Mills’ move to safety feels permanent, given how badly the team will need help at free safety. Mills and Dugger seem destined to move in and out of that role.

It’s rare for an NFL team to go as their safeties go. The position has decreased in value as edge and cornerback have turned into the premier spots. But in the AFC East, which boasts big-play receivers in Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle and Garrett Wilson? It’s not that crazy.

The Patriots have inexperienced players at the cornerback position. And the safety net — Dugger and Mills — is one big experiment. If those two can’t keep a lid on this defense, the Patriots will have no hope of advancing out of their division in January.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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