The New England Patriots should come into the 2026 season with one of the best defenses in the NFL. Media outlets certainly think so, as Bleacher Report has the organization ranked as the sixth-best defense in the NFL.
The Patriots will be returning several key players from last year’s unit. They also made several additions, including edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones and safety Kevin Byard. The Patriots did not necessarily make many major upgrades; some minor tweaks. Now, they will look to defend their Super Bowl title.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport made his case to put the Patriots in the sixth spot, among what was a very solid group overall.
The defensive backfield is loaded. Christian Gonzalez is one of the NFL’s best young cornerbacks. Veteran Carlton Davis III has eight NFL seasons and 105 career starts under his belt who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Pats also added a first-team All-Pro safety in free agency in Kevin Byard III, who has led the league in interceptions twice—including last year.
Front to back, there are far more strengths than weaknesses on the New England defense in 2026.
Patriots Had Stout Defense Last Season
The Patriots’ defense was one of the best in football last season. They were fourth in scoring defense with only 18.8 points allowed. They ranked in total defense at 295.2 yards allowed. The unit also did well in terms of rushing and passing defense. They allowed 101.7 yards on the ground, which ranked sixth in the league. They were also able to be a stout passing defense as they allowed only 193.5 yards, which ranked ninth in the NFL. This included 67 total passes defended.
This defense relied heavily on both the defensive line and the secondary. The defensive line excelled in the run game last season. They allowed only 4.2 yards per carry and 11 total rushing touchdowns. This was largely thanks to Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.
Patriots Will Have Work To Do This Season
The Patriots will certainly have their work cut out for them this season. The team will face a minimum of 5 to 7 top-10 teams. This will make their schedule the fifth -most challenging schedule in the NFL. Two of those matchups will be in their own division, as they will face the Buffalo Bills twice. Other opponents include the Seattle Seahawks in the season-opener, the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, and Green Bay Packers.
That part of the schedule may look a bit daunting. However, the Patriots were able to hold their own against some of the best defenses in the playoffs. They allowed just a single field goal to the Chargers in the Wild Card game. They then were able to stop CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans in what was an important game.
Perhaps the biggest and most successful test that they passed was in the AFC Championship Game. They held the Broncos to seven points in what were whiteout conditions. The offense really struggled in this game, and the defense was able to pick them up. To be fair, they even held their own in the Super Bowl. The defensive unit held Sam Darnold to 202 yards passing. However, they were on the field for 33:11 for the entire game. It certainly didn’t make things easy.
The defense will get an immediate test as it will face the Seahawks right away. It will be interesting to see how they do this season after what was a much easier schedule in 2025. Patriots fans are hoping that the unit will be up to the challenge.
Patriots Defense Gets Eye-Opening Ranking Ahead of 2026