The New England Patriots are expected to be among the most active teams in NFL free agency this offseason. Not only do they have holes all over their roster and several crucial areas that need to be addressed, they also have vast resources to play with: New England is tops in the league with over $130 million in salary cap space available.
It is almost expected that some of that money be invested in the defensive line after the unit struggled last season and will undergo a scheme shift under Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. With that said, let’s assess this year’s DL free agency class.
Patriots’ current defensive line situation
Following the trades of Matthew Judon and Joshua Uche last season, a pass rusher off the edge is one of the biggest needs on the Patriots roster. New England does have Keion White and Anfernee Jennings under contract, but White is at his best rushing from the interior on late downs while Jennings is one of the best early-down run defenders in football.
Along the interior, one of the biggest question marks on the team is the status of Christian Barmore. The 25-year-old established himself as one of the best interior defenders in football in 2023 — which earned him a four-year extension — but was limited to just four games last season due to blood clots.
New England has allowed Davon Godchaux to seek a trade this offseason as the shift to more aggressive four-down fronts does not suit his game. Fellow veterans Deatrich Wise Jr. and Daniel Ekuale are set to hit free agency while the team did extend Jeremiah Pharms Jr. this offseason.
Jaquelin Roy, Eric Johnson, Marcus Harris, Titus Leo and Truman Jones are also under contract for 2025.
Patriots free agency targets at defensive line
Speaking at the Combine last week, both Mike Vrabel and Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf highlighted the importance of building the lines. With New England ranking last in the league in sacks and struggling against the run last season, making a splash or two along the defensive front is expected. Here are some targets that would make sense based on their veteran status and connection to the current staff:
Milton Williams (UFA): With the expected shift to more aggressive four-down fronts, there isn’t a better fit on the open market than Williams, who will be the top interior defender on in free agency after the Cowboys re-signed Osa Odighizuwa to a four-year, $80 million extension — perhaps a blueprint for teams moving forward.
Williams had a career-year last year posting 40 pressures and a 17.7 percent pass rush win rate that ranked fourth among all defensive tackles in football. He built off his regular season success with a dominant postseason for the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles as Williams posted 14 pressures while maintaining a 17-plus percent pass rush win rate in four games. Williams then capped off the run with a strip sack of Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
Impending free agent Milton Williams posted a career-high 40 pressures in the regular season while his 17.7% pass rush win rate ranked fourth among qualified interior defenders.
Had a monster postseason (14 pressures) for the Super Bowl champs⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KNBVbQ7Euu
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) March 3, 2025
It’s fair to question if Williams will have a similar impact away from Jalen Carter and Philadelphia’s defensive front, but the continued development from the soon-to-be 26-year-old leaves the arrow pointed up — especially if he aligns next to Barmore moving forward.
Josh Sweat (UFA): Another member of the Eagles daunted pass rush last season, Sweat joins Khalil Mack as the top edge defenders on the open market. Sweat has been a consistent force off the edge for Philadelphia the past four seasons posting 40+ pressures in each.
This past regular season, Sweat ranked top-20 among all qualified edge rushers in both pressures and pass rush win rate en route to posting 8.0 sacks. He saved his best performance for last as the soon-to-be 28-year-old piled up seven pressures and 2.5 sacks in the Super Bowl victory.
Levi Onwuzurike (UFA): Back along the interior, Onwuzurike had a career-year in Detroit last season playing under now Patriots DC Terrell Williams. Another penetrating defensive tackle, Onwuzurike took on a bigger role along the Lions front and responded by posting a career-best 47 pressures (t-14th most among all defensive tackles). His 12.5 percent pass rush win rate in the regular season also ranked top-15.
Another impending free agent along the defensive line. Levi Onwuzurike had a career year in '24 for the Lions working under #Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
His 45 pressures and 12.5% pass rush win rate in the regular season both ranked top-15 among interior… pic.twitter.com/BQwlUCgAuP
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) March 3, 2025
The former second-round pick, who just turned 27, is a logical candidate to reunite with Williams in New England. The same could be said for edge rusher Marcus Davenport, who played in just two games for the Lions last year before suffering a season-ending triceps injury.
Azeez Ojulari (UFA): Ojulari has connections to the Patriots staff as well as now inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr was a defensive assistant with the Giants in 2024. Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Cowden also spent the past two seasons in New York where Ojulari appeared in 22 games.
A second-round pick in 2021, Ojulari has dealt with injuries throughout his career but has posted 22 career sacks despite not eclipsing 500 total snaps in a season since his rookie year. The majority of his 22 pressures last season came in cleanup duty, making him a preferred secondary pass rush addition.
Dayo Odeyingbo (UFA): Another former second-round pick, Odeyingbo has seen his pressure totals increase each season as he receives more and more snaps along the Colts front. After posting a career-high 8.0 sacks in 2023, Odeyingbo saw his sack total decrease this year but still posted a personal best 42 pressures.
Odeyingbo now enters free agency still just 25-years old with what could be his best football ahead of him.
The hunt for upgrades will extend beyond those five. Las Vegas’ Malcom Koonce will have an interesting market to monitor after coming off a season-ending knee injury. Los Angeles released Joey Bosa, who overlapped with Vrabel at Ohio State in 2013, Wednesday night while New Orleans’ Chase Young, Arizona's Baron Browning, and Chicago’s Darrell Taylor are other options along the edge.
Along the interior, Los Angeles’ Poona Ford and San Francisco’s Javon Hargave are two veteran options on the open market. Talent acquisition should be expected to continue in the draft along the defensive line as well — a position that was identified as a strength in this year’s class by Eliot Wolf.