The New England Patriots have plenty of positions to address during free agency and only so much time to do it...
If the club intends on putting itself in a position to regularly contend, it will have to put together another near-flawless offseason as it brings aboard pass-rushers, wide receivers, offensive linemen, linebackers, and tight ends -- a group that reportedly includes linebacker Jesse Luketa.
Let's take a look at the newest tenant at One Patriot Place!
Bio:
Jesse Luketa
Position: EDGE
Height: 6’ 3"
Weight: 253lbs
2026 Age: 27 (Jan. 15, 1999)
2025: N/A
The Patriots signed Jesse Luketa because:
... they seem to be prioritizing depth pieces who have a proven track record on special teams.
Luketa was signed prior to the start of free agency, and though we didn't see it at the time, his acquisition signaled a trend that continued with the signings of fullback Reggie Gilliam, tight end Julian Hill, linebacker K.J. Britt, and safety Mike Brown. New England wants its depth pieces to not only have experience playing on special teams, but thrive in the third phase of the game.
Luketa appeared in 74% of his club's special teams snaps across his final two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Gilliam appeared in 80% across the last five seasons with the Buffalo Bills. Hill hovered around 50% with the Miami Dolphins. Britt and Brown both surpassed 65% despite playing with multiple teams over the last several seasons.
If you're not going to play the majority of snap on offense or defense, you're going to on special teams.
Got him 💪 @OttawasVeryOwn
📺: #AZvsDEN on CBS pic.twitter.com/hcBwUZUhIk
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) August 25, 2024
The Patriots' next move should be:
... making that final splash along the edge.
Dre'Mont Jones is good, but he isn't good enough to completely revamp a unit that still projects to rely heavily on Harold Landry III, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson, and Luketa.
New England needs someone with some juice to fix the consistent issues it had rushing the passer, which would allow it to slide those previously mentioned into roles that better fit their skillset. I'd be lying if I said the organization didn't wait too long, but there are some decent options available in the likes of Cam Jordan, Joey Bosa, AJ Epenesa, Arnold Ebiketie, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Kyle Van Noy.
More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026