To many, the New England Patriots’ edge group carries the most questions on the roster.
Head coach Mike Vrabel, however, has stood by his current group when asked about the position both this spring and at the start of training camp.
One of those players, veteran Dre’Mont Jones, agrees.
“I think we’re an underrated group, and the world’s going to see how good we can be,” he said.
Jones was signed to a three-year, $39.5 million contract on the first day of free agency to bolster the Patriots’ pass rush
and run defense along the edge.
Coming off of a career season that included seven sacks, the 29-year old will join Harold Landry III atop the depth chart once the veteran is activated off the PUP list. Behind them, however, is young group that is led by Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson, and second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas, who officially signed his rookie contract on Sunday.
One of those young edge rushers emerging would be a welcome development for the Patriots this summer. And through his early time with Ponder and Swinson, Jones believes both have the potential to make that leap.
“Elijah, he can be the truth… He’s going to be a helluva player. I think Pats Nation got a steal,” Jones said. “Swinson, he can be a killer in this league. They definitely have the building blocks to be great.”
While Sunday’s practice was a positive one for the defense, New England’s defensive front has not yet fully gotten in on the fun — outside of a pair of batted passes from Jones and Swinson — throughout the non-padded sessions. That should change once the pads come on, something veteran safety Kevin Byard is eager to see.
“When the pads come on days into training camp, I expect those guys to start making a lot more plays,” he said. “But defense, we’ve been having a lot of fun the first couple days.”
