The New England Patriots received one of the strongest overall roster evaluations in football from ESPN on Friday.
But the ranking also pointed directly at a position that could determine how high they fly in 2026.
ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked New England No. 4 overall among all 32 teams after grading 10 position groups and weighting them based on positional importance. The Patriots finished behind only the Rams, Ravens and Eagles.
There was one clear outlier.
New England’s edge rushers landed 25th, the lowest ranking of any Patriots position group.
That gap is tough to miss on a roster ESPN otherwise views among the league’s deepest.
New England ranked second at safety, sixth at cornerback, ninth at wide receiver, 11th at quarterback and 12th at off-ball linebacker. Its next-lowest grade came at running back, which checked in at No. 19.
For a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance and into a season with championship expectations, edge pressure has become the most obvious area left to prove.
Patriots’ Edge Group Stands Out for Wrong Reason
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 28: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans runs against Dre’Mont Jones #45 of the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter in the game at NRG Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The concern did not suddenly appear with ESPN’s rankings.
NFL.com identified a “sack specialist” as New England’s biggest remaining roster hole in March, even after the Patriots added Dre’Mont Jones in free agency. Jones is coming off a career-high seven sacks in 2025 and signed a three-year deal reportedly worth $39.5 million.
The Patriots also have Harold Landry, who recorded 8.5 sacks last season. However, Landry remains on the physically unable to perform list. Patriots.com noted Thursday that he was still out of the lineup during the second joint practice with the Eagles.
His absence has put more attention on Jones and the younger options behind him.
Second-round rookie Gabe Jacas could become the player who changes the outlook. New England traded up to select Jacas with the No. 55 overall pick after he produced a Big Ten-leading 11 sacks for Illinois in 2025. He finished his college career with 27 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Jacas missed the opening portion of training camp before getting back onto the field, leaving him with ground to make up before the regular season.
The Patriots have enough talent elsewhere along the defensive front to create pressure, especially with Milton Williams working inside.
However, ESPN’s ranking suggests the edge room lacks the established top-end presence found on the NFL’s best pass-rushing units.
Patriots Have Seen Why Edge Matters
The timing of the ranking also lines up with what New England saw during its joint practices with the Eagles.
Patriots.com wrote that Philadelphia found “gaping holes” in the running game during Wednesday’s first session. The front seven responded a day later, with Williams and the interior defense consistently meeting runners closer to the line of scrimmage.
That improvement was nice to see, though it also reinforced how much setting the edge and controlling the line can swing a defense from one period to the next.
The Patriots can offset some of their uncertainty with scheme. New England increased its blitz rate to 44.3% during last season’s playoffs, generating pressure on more than 37% of opposing dropbacks and collecting 13 postseason sacks.
Still, relying on extra rushers can break a defense against elite quarterbacks. Consistent pressure from a four-man front gives the secondary more flexibility and makes an already talented defense tougher to solve.
ESPN clearly sees the rest of the roster as capable of another deep run, as a No. 4 overall ranking places New England ahead of several perennial contenders.
Whether the Patriots’ edge group performs closer to No. 25 or rises toward the level of the rest of the roster could help decide how far that run goes.
New England Patriots’ Biggest Weakness Exposed Despite No. 4 NFL Ranking