Have the Patriots finally churned out a stabilizing combination of linebackers, inside and on the edge?

With training camp set to start at the end of the month, we’ll provide a position-by-position breakdown of where the Patriots stand. After a look at the offensive side of the ball, we flipped things over to defense and began with the D-line. Today, we move on to the linebackers/edge defenders.

Read more New soccer fans, don’t despair! The Women’s World Cup is less than a year away.

Roll call (regular-season stats):

Linebackers: Robert Spillane (97 tackles, 1 sack, 4 tackles for loss), Christian Elliss (94 tackles, three passes defensed), Chad Muma (four tackles), Jesse Luketa (21 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, 4 tackles for loss for the Cardinals), K.J. Britt (35 tackles for the Dolphins), Amari Gainer (five tackles for the Raiders), Xavier Holmes, Quintayvious Hutchins, Khalil Jacobs, Namdi Obiazor, Otis Reese.

Edge: Dre’Mont Jones (seven sacks, 43 tackles last year for the Titans and Ravens), Elijah Ponder (4 sacks, 24 tackles, 5 quarterback hits, 4 tackles for loss), Bradyn Swinson (one tackle), Harold Landry (8.5 sacks, 49 tackles, 19 quarterback hits), Gabe Jacas.

By the numbers:

35: The number of sacks the Patriots had as a team last season (only six teams finished with fewer).

The skinny: Since Mike Vrabel took over as coach in January 2025, no spot on the depth chart has been churned more than the second level of the defense. Vrabel and the front office have continuously tried to find the right combination of talent at linebacker and on the edge to complement the defensive line and secondary.

On the edge, after losing K’Lavon Chaisson (7½ sacks) and Anfernee Jennings (two), the Patriots have left themselves with no real margin for error. While Jones was added, it feels like this team is shorthanded entering training camp, especially after Landry (knee issues down the stretch last season) and second-round pick Jacas (unsigned and dealing with an unspecified health issue) weren’t spotted on the field during mandatory minicamp in the spring.

“Harold has played a lot of football,” Vrabel said of Landry, who turned 30 in June. “Everyone has a little different plan. He is very involved — very heavily involved — in the meetings and the workouts and in a leadership role. For him to take reps right now in the spring, I feel like is unnecessary. We’ll just keep working to make sure that he is ready to go when we need him.”

Read more US gas prices hit an average of $4 a gallon again as the US and Iran launch attacks

Maybe Ponder and/or Swinson will take advantage of their opportunity and make the same sort of leap that Chaisson did last year. Maybe Jacas will emerge as a force after missing the spring workouts, or the knee problems that have dogged Landry will disappear. Or perhaps the Patriots will pursue one of the intriguing veteran edge defenders who are still on the market. (Jadeveon Clowney? Nick Bosa?) Regardless, as camp looms, there’s a great deal of uncertainty on the edge.

On the inside, the group held up well against the run last season, but they could still use a coverage linebacker, as they often struggled against elite tight ends. Maybe someone like Obiazor — who was a hybrid safety/linebacker at BYU — could fill the role.

Ultimately, while the Patriots continue to search for the right combination of talent on the second level, much of their success will hinge on whether or not veterans like Landry and Spillane can stay healthy, and if newcomers like Jacas and Jones can get assimilated. If that happens, it’ll go a long way toward smoothing out any sort of uncertainty about where this group stands.

How does this position rate against the rest of the league? The inside linebackers are a stout group, but there’s not a lot of proven depth, which probably puts them at roughly middle of the pack. As for the edge/pass rushers, it’s probably among the bottom third of the league, with a chance for improvement if Jacas and/or Landry can provide some oomph.

Quote of note: “That’s a good group. I’m excited about adding [Jones], the development of Ponder and Swinson. We added Luketa and some young guys.” — Vrabel on the edge guys in camp for the spring workouts.

Biggest story lines: Can Landry’s knee hold up over 17 games? Can Jacas play catch-up after missing the spring sessions and make a contribution this year? Is there someone in the group of inside linebackers capable of running with tight ends?

Read more The 2026 World Cup was an enthralling spectacle from beginning to end, with a worthy champion