Led by Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, the Patriots’ defensive line expects to ‘dominate’
FOXBOROUGH — On a day where the Patriots’ defense carried the action, it wasn’t a surprise that the charge was led by a pair of big guys up front.
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At training camp Sunday, defensive tackle Milton Williams batted down a pass from quarterback Drake Maye. And Christian Barmore generated consistent pressure that led to some hurried throws from the quarterback. The action was no surprise from the 6-foot-5-inch, 315-pound Barmore, who said the group up front is heading into the 2026 season with a simple directive: dominate.
“Our goal is really just to set the tone every time we out here,” said Barmore shortly after the close of Sunday’s practice. “The whole defense follows the D line. So, you know, every time we out there, we be expect to dominate.
“We can’t be expecting to [expletive] around — excuse my language. Literally, our goal is to dominate every time. That’s our that’s our mission and that’s our goal every time, run or pass. It doesn’t matter.”
The Patriots have several game-changers on defense heading into the new season, but the consensus seems to be that the New England defense will go as far as Williams and Barmore will take them.
“Truth be told, I think those big guys up front — Barmore, Milton — having an ability to stop the run and being stout and also the pass rush, I think those guys are going to be the ones who are going to set the tone for our defense, which obviously makes the secondary’s jobs a lot easier,” said veteran safety Kevin Byard III.
“Obviously, we have some talented players, but a defense is really nothing without those big guys up front. We have a good second line of defense as well, but I think those big guys up front are going to be guys who are going to take us where we need to go.”
Thanks in large part to Barmore (29 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, 2 sacks) and Milton Williams (29 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 8 quarterback hits, 3½ sacks), the defensive tackles certainly dominated for most of last season. No running back broke 50 yards on the ground against the Patriots through the first nine weeks of the season as New England became one of the toughest defensive groups in the league.
Now, the goal to be able to keep that momentum moving forward. The Patriots, who finished fourth in points allowed last season, want to improve upon that. On Saturday, Williams said the goal was to be the top-rated scoring defense in the league.
“We know what we did last year,” Williams said. “We’ve got to turn the page. This league is about ‘What have you done for me lately?’ We’ve got to tick up everything a notch. We want to be the No. 1 scoring defense, and the No. 1 defense in the league. So we’ve got to come out here and work towards that.”
On Sunday, Barmore reiterated the message, saying they hear the same mantra from the coaching staff all the time.
“We’ve got to keep grinding,” he said. “Our goal is to be one of the best defense in the league, and be the No. 1 scoring defense. We’re going to keep working on our goal every [day].”
While backing Barmore, coach Mike Vrabel said in the spring he’d like to see the defensive tackle do a better job finishing; specifically, turning those quarterback pressures into sacks, like he did in 2023 (when he had 8½ sacks and 13 quarterback hits). For a team that has questions about where the pass rush will come from, a boost along the interior from Barmore would be a big help.
“I missed a couple sacks last year, and I’ve got to work on to that. I missed a couple, and I’ve got to make up for that,” Barmore said with a small smile. “When I beat the guy, I just have to have good, good [style], good balance, and good timing. And just stop getting so excited. … Just finish the play.”
Barmore is able to draw inspiration from former Patriots’ great Vince Wilfork. The two have built a connection over the last year-plus, with Wilfork telling Barmore it’s on the defensive line to “set the tone every time.”
“He just gets me fired up every time. You know, every time,” Barmore said. “He’s a legend. He’s one of the best players ever play the game. So every time he texts me or just hits me up, it’s a blessing, because you know he a legend. I just I love how he motivates me.”
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