Former Patriots OL Earns Most Embarrassing PFF Ranking Ever

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Fans gather outside Gillette Stadium before a New England Patriots game. Foxboro officials are delaying approval of upcoming events as they push the Kraft Group to cover rising public safety costs.

The New England Patriots went through some lean years in the post-Tom Brady era. The 2023 and 2024 seasons were some of the ones where the organization struggled the most. Individual play reflected that as well. Pro Football Focus ‘ Bradley Locker put together a list of the worst created players in the Pro Football Focus era. Tackle Demontrey Jacobs made the list for the Patriots as he recorded a 38.2 grade in 2024.

Jacobs was put in a difficult position in 2024. That year was his first season of extended action and he started at both right and left tackle. It was a difficult year for anybody on the line, given the lack of talent and instability.

Former Patriots’ Lineman Joins Dubious List

Locker broke down why Jacobs made the list in his piece.

While the Patriots relished a Super Bowl appearance in 2025, the year before was incredibly trying. That was especially true along the team’s offensive line, with Jacobs firmly in the spotlight. In his first season of extended action, Jacobs started at both right and left tackle but surrendered 49 pressures and nine sacks. His PFF blocking grades in both categories fell below a 43.0.

Metrics Did Not Work In Patriots Favor

49 pressures and nine sacks were certainly not ideal for a Patriots offensive line that was trying to find some form of stability. However, the struggles were not entirely Jacobs fault. He went from a third-string tackle to a regular starter due to injuries on the roster. He was claimed off waivers from the Denver Broncos right before the season started and was immediately thrust into a starting role.

According to advanced metrics, the Patriots’ offensive line is one of the worst in all of football that year. They allowed 222 total pressures and 33 sacks. This was tied for third -most in the league according to statistics from Pro Football Focus. They had a pass-block win rate of 51%, which was 31^st in the league. Their run-block win rate left a lot to be desired as well. They won their run blocks at a rate of 67%. This was tied for last in the league.

In the meantime, other metrics called stories of struggle. They had an average time to pressure of 2.58 seconds. This number ranked 27^th in the league. Their offensive line impact score was 61.2. This mark was also last in the league.

Jacobs was not a perfect lineman by any means. However, the entire unit struggled mightily that season. Now, things have improved under Doug Marrone and that unit. However, there was no denying that Jacobs had a difficult time that year. If anything, this goes to show the growth that the patriots unit had from  2024 to 2025. They went from being a struggling unit into one of the more promising units in the NFL.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, they had to endure some lumps to get there. However, they were able to do so with flying colors last season. If anything, the statistic is a reminder of how quickly the organization has been able to rebuild the offensive line, and the talent that the line currently boasts.