"The New England Patriots have put together one of the better defenses in football. They rank second against the run, 13th against the pass, and No. 5 overall. The numbers are impressive, no doubt, but the unit isn't without its shortcomings; it ranks 21st in sacks per game and has struggled to generate much more than coverage sacks against inferior offensive lines."
"A second issue has been the Patriots' cornerback room. Over the last few weeks, Carlton Davis III has looked very solid and has been a nice complement to Christian Gonzalez, who's one of the league's best. Marcus Jones has been among the best slot corners in football, and he just had his third interception of the year against the Bengals in Week 12."
"Beyond the top three, there's a bit of a drop-off. Marcellas Dial, a 2024 sixth-round pick, tore his ACL in training camp, leaving room for an extra cornerback on the depth chart. Alex Austin and D.J. James entered the year as the fourth and fifth options, but the Patriots also added Charles Woods after he was released by the Rams."
The Patriots' defense ranks second versus the run, 13th versus the pass, and fifth overall, but ranks 21st in sacks per game and relies heavily on coverage sacks. The cornerback room features elite starters—Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, and slot specialist Marcus Jones—but depth falls off after them. Marcellas Dial suffered an ACL tear in training camp, Alex Austin and D.J. James were depth candidates, and Charles Woods was added after a Rams release. Austin moved to IR, James was cut, and Miles Battle provides practice-squad depth. Claiming veteran Darius Slay Jr. would have addressed the CB4/5 gap.
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