The New England Patriots will be entering the offseason with the most salary cap space in the NFL and the No. 4 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft.
They are loaded with assets to rebuild, but they have a lot of holes to fix on the roster. Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard identified the top priorities being the defensive line and offensive line.
The Patriots need to improve in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and it all starts with the personnel up front.
“From what I’ve been told from a couple of different people, even before the Super Bowl the other night, that the two lines—the offensive and defensive line—are going to be the top priority this offseason,” Bedard said on the “Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast.”
Both the offensive and defensive lines struggled last season.
The Patriots’ offensive line gave up the fifth-most sacks with 52 sacks allowed in the 2024 season. On the defensive side of the ball, they averaged only 1.6 sacks per game, which ranked in the bottom of the league.
They need significant upgrades on both sides of the ball, and fortunately, they have the assets to start making those upgrades this year. Watching the Philadelphia Eagles dominate the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX was a reminder that games are won and lost in the trenches.
It would make sense for the Patriots to place a high priority on addressing that area of weakness.