The New England Patriots find themselves in a much different position than they were at this time last season. After overhauling the roster in Year 1 under Mike Vrabel, the Patriots turned things around and advanced to Super Bowl LX.
Entering free agency in 2026, the list of needs is significantly shorter for Vrabel and the front office. As they now look to further upgrade the roster and fill just a handful of holes, the Patriots are projected to have more than $40 million in cap space to work with.
Perhaps no position on the roster is in need of an upgrade more than the edge spot, which Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf called an “obvious need” at the NFL Combine.
Patriots’ current edge rusher situation
The Patriots overhauled their starting edge rushers in free agency last offseason signing both Harold Landry III and K’Lavon Chaisson. The veteran Landry got off to one of the best starts of his career before a knee injury he suffered in Week 6 derailed his season. Chaisson, meanwhile, had a career-year as a pass rusher with 10.5 total sacks — including 3.0 in a strong playoff stretch.
Wolf shared that the expectation is for the 29-year-old Landry to be back this season, but the veteran may undergo offseason surgery for the knee which leaves a level of unknown for his play in 2026. The 26-year-old Chaisson is then set to hit free agency and could be in search of his first career major payday.
New England’s depth options begin with UDFA Elijah Ponder, who showed promise down the stretch of his rookie season and is a fan favorite of OLB coach Mike Smith. Anfernee Jennings then remains under contract, albeit with no guaranteed money, after carving out a late-season rotational role in addition to fifth-round draft pick Bradyn Swinson.
In a strong edge draft class, the Patriots are expected to address the position earlier than later. But remodeling the group will also have them searching for talent in free agency — where another deep group could lead to an addition or two.
Patriots free agency targets along the edge
Trey Hendrickson (UFA): After not receiving the franchise tag, Hendrickson is finally free from Cincinnati and has already penned his letter goodbye. The 31-year was limited to just seven games last season as he dealt with a groin/hip injury, but still proved he’s one of the better pass rushers the league has to offer ranking 6th among edge rushers in pass rush win rate through the first eight weeks. He will be an expensive, short-term bandaid coming off an injury, but that worked fairly well for New England with Stefon Diggs last season.
Jaelan Phillips (UFA): The Patriots showed interest in Phillips at last year’s trade deadline but ultimately saw the 26-year old be sent off to Philadelphia. The former first-rounder’s upside is clear as he nearly set a career-high with 76 pressures last season while also ranking top-10 at the position in hurries, pass rush win rate and run stops. That could led to Phillips pricing himself out of New England while durability issues remain a concern as he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in 2024 and a season-ending torn Achilles in 2023.
Boye Mafe (UFA): New England saw Mafe up close in the Super Bowl this past season as the 27-year-old was part of talented Seahawks edge group. That depth has largely limited Mafe to a part-time player over the past two seasons (55 percent of their defensive snaps) but his explosive skillset and size (6-foot-4, 260 pounds) fits the prototype (~255 pounds) the Patriots look for at the position. Mafe’s most productive season came in 2023 in more of a full-time role, perhaps forecasting what he could be once paid like a starter.
Odafe Oweh (UFA): A more versatile and well-rounded option along the edge, Oweh also proved his ability against the Patriots in the playoffs as he recorded 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in the Chargers’ Wild Card defeat. It was noteworthy to see the Ravens trade him midseason to the Chargers — where he then went on to finish the year 11th among edge defenders in pass rush win rate (16.5 percent). Oweh will now be another one of the top options on the market.
Khalil Mack (UFA): The 35-year-old Mack proved he still has plenty in the tank last season logging over 40 pressures and 5.5 sacks in just 12 games (missing four games with a dislocated elbow). Mack is set to return for his 13th season next year, and could be another bandaid option to pair with another addition if New England is priced out of the top of the market.
Arnold Ebiketie (UFA): If the Patriots are looking to find this year’s version of Chaisson, the 27-year-old Ebiketie is an intriguing option. The 38th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ebiketie has been limited to a rotational role in Atlanta — especially after the Falcons selected two first-round pass rushers in 2025. Despite playing a near career-low 35 percent of their defensive snaps last season and posting a career-low 2.0 sacks, Ebiketie was tied for 12th among edge defenders in pass rush win rate. He fits the Patriots mold at 6-foot-3, 256 pounds and could take a step forward in a larger role.
Al-Quadin Muhammed (UFA): After being suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on Performance Enhancing Drugs in 2023, Muhammed eventually joined the Lions practice squad in 2024 before being promoted to the active roster. Appearing in 10 games down the stretch under then Detroit-defensive line coach Terrell Williams, Muhammed recorded 26 pressures and 3.0 sacks in a rotational role. Sticking in that role in 2025, the 30-year-old broke out with a career-high 11.0 sacks while ranking top-25 at the position in pressures and pass rush win rate.
Kingsley Enagbare (UFA): Another former rotational player, Enagbare was thrusted into a larger role for Packers last season after Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL. While he was an elite run stopper at the position, Enagbare has never proved to be a consistent pass rush threat recording less than 30 pressures in each of his first four seasons. Still just 26-years old, a team could see room to grow in that regard.
