PFF Stacks Up Patriots' Defensive Line to NFL in Latest Rankings

Where does the New England Patriots' defensive line rank for the 2024 season?

Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) reacts after a play ]in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

When looking at what this New England Patriots roster has to offer for the 2024 season, the defensive unit looks to be one of the brighter spots on the squad. The team remained largely similar on that side of the ball throughout the offseason and has the chance to see some strides forward from the year prior.

A large part of their defensive success comes within their front seven. Being headlined by stout presences like Christian Barmore and a fully healthy Matthew Judon, this is a group that could be primed to help lift the Patriots to a better result in the W/L than they put up the season prior.

However, when stacked up against the rest of the NFL, Pro Football Focus sees New England as closer to a league-average defensive line than an elite one-- specifically 15th. Sam Monson of PFF gave some intel on what to expect for the Patriots in the first season under head coach Jerod Mayo:

"No Bill Belichick this season means we will get a new view of the Patriots' defensive line. His departure could completely change how we examine the roster personnel. Christian Barmore got paid this offseason, coming off a career year, and Matthew Judon is a very consistent player on the edge. Josh Uche re-signed as a very useful situational rusher in the offseason, but arguably the most interesting player to watch is Keion White in Year 2, particularly with no Belichick shepherding his development."

- Sam Monson, PFF

While the Patriots have consistently had a top-ranked front seven during the Bill Belichick regime, stock is looking a bit lower than usual heading into 2024. Regardless, there's still a ton of reason for optimism.

As mentioned by Monson, Keion White could be a massive piece of this defense next year. Entering his second-year pro, the Georgia Tech product could be a physical and imposing presence as a pass rusher who can hope to add some further explosiveness off the edge. Especially when paired alongside a Pro-Bowler like Judon, the tandem could make for a scary one-two-punch.

Regardless, a significant part of what's to come with New England's defense in 2024 leans largely on how this system looks under Jerod Mayo.

Of course, as a descendant of Belichick, it's difficult to see any drastic changes coming underway, but it remains to be seen if the Patriots will hold that same consistency on the defensive end that they've held down in recent history.

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