"Over the past few weeks, the defensive backfield has been very impressive. Christian Gonzalez continues to be one of the best in football, while Marcus Jones has ascended to one of the best slot corners in the league. Carlton Davis had a shaky start to the season, but has been incredible since his breakout performance against the Bengals. PFF has graded him a 77.0 or higher in a handful of games over the past month,"
"At safety, the room's reconstruction has come along faster than expected. Jaylinn Hawkins has had a breakout season as PFF's 7th-best safety, and Craig Woodson has played the most snaps of any Patriots rookie. Dell Pettus has an 86.9 overall grade in limited snaps as well. Despite an overachieving defensive backfield, the team has struggled to defend tight ends and also needs to get deeper at cornerback. After their first three cornerbacks and starting safeties, there's a sharp drop-off."
The Patriots have built one of the league's best defenses when healthy, but recent absences of Milton Williams and Robert Spillane weakened run defense. The defensive backfield has excelled: Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Carlton Davis have played at a high level, with Davis posting strong PFF grades and target metrics. The safety room has progressed rapidly, with Jaylinn Hawkins emerging and Craig Woodson logging the most snaps among rookies; Dell Pettus has graded well in limited action. The roster drops off beyond the top three corners and starters at safety, and the team struggles against tight ends, creating urgency for depth additions such as a potential Budda Baker signing.
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