Patriots Confident in Trio of Defensive Rookies, Questions Remain on Offense

First-round pick Christian Gonzalez leads a group of new faces on a New England defense that could be an elite unit. The team’s offensive line could present an issue, however.

My 18th camp is a short drive from home. My visit to Foxboro, recapped here …

1) The defense has a chance to be really, really good. Most of the key veterans from a solid 2022 unit return. Linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley, whom the Patriots just paid, has had a really nice summer. The roster is deep on the defensive line and in the secondary. Between Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, Deatrich Wise and rookie Keion White, the edge-rush group might be as good as it’s been in a long time. New England’s optimistic that it hit on each of its first three draft picks (more on them in a minute), and all three of those guys are on defense. And there’s a quality layer of pieces at the bottom of the roster, with a few young vets, like DT Daniel Ekuale, turning some heads. So, yes, expectations should be high that Bill Belichick has a group that goes from good last year to capable of challenging high-end offenses this year—which would be great news in a division with Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and the Miami track team in it.

Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez has been getting some early Defensive Rookie of the Year buzz :: Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports

2) So as for those rookies, the interesting thing about the class is how the Patriots made bets that they could get the best out of guys with questions on their personalities with their first two picks. With Christian Gonzalez, the first-round pick out of Oregon, it’s whether he’s tough, confident and edgy enough to be a top NFL corner. With White, he’s just very reserved, and a different kind of guy. So, no, these guys don’t necessarily project as front-of-the-room leaders. But both have a lot of talent, have fit in fine and hopes are high they’ll play big roles as rookies. And Marte Mapu, the third-round safety/linebacker hybrid, will be in the mix as soon as he can get fully healthy from offseason surgery.

3) Before we get to the offense, there is one question on defense, and that’s who’ll replace Devin McCourty at free safety, McCourty was a steady, strong traffic controller back there for years and years, and there isn’t a pure centerfielder on the roster to play that role (those aren’t easy to find, period). So my guess is rather than try and find someone to take his spot (converted corner Jalen Mills would likely be most equipped to do it, athletically), we see a shift in scheme, with New England playing less with a single-high safety, and more with two safeties back.

4) O.K., so on offense, there are questions. One very clear one is how the offensive line will come together, and the Patriots, at this juncture, are very much relying on Trent Brown to stay in shape, healthy and in line as the team’s left tackle. And Brown, over the years, hasn’t exactly been the NFL’s most reliable guy. The interior should be good, so long as guards Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange get healthy, with center David Andrews as the pivot man. But how the tackle equation shakes out, with things very murky beyond Brown, will likely be a season-long storyline.

5) Mac Jones has had, for the most part, a good summer. He had a really nice first week, then hit some bumps, then recovered. And it looks like the work he and Bill O’Brien have done this offseason—the new/old Patriots OC has been entrusted by Belichick to get Jones back to where he was before last year’s roller-coaster ride—is paying off. That doesn’t mean Jones is going to be All-Pro. But he should be level again, and if the defense plays like the folks here think it can, that should be enough to get New England in the running for a playoff spot in the loaded AFC.