The New England Patriots will lean heavily on their improved defense to win games in 2025. Specifically, their exciting secondary has a chance to be a top-10 unit in the NFL.
Standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez will be paired with veteran Carlton Davis, who signed a three-year contract worth $54 million in free agency. Other corners on the depth chart include Marcus Jones, Marcellas Dial Jr., Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, and seventh-round rookie Kobee Minor.
New England also boasts a deep safety group. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers will again lead a unit that features Jaylinn Hawkins, Dell Pettus, Marcus Epps, and fourth-rounder Craig Woodson.
NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran named the secondary as one of his six reasons why the team will be better in 2025. Fellow Patriots insider Phil Perry joined the latest Patriots Talk Podcast and explained why it could be a shutdown unit.
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“I would say it has the potential to be their strength,” Perry said of the Pats’ secondary. “The potential that you have in Gonzalez, who we know his excellent, and Davis, who we know has been excellent at times, especially in man-to-man-heavy schemes.
“To have those two guys together and what you might be able to do defensively in terms of funneling targets to weapons that the offense might not want to target as often as they’re targeting them when they come to Gillette Stadium because of those two really good players you have on the outside, because of the versatility that you have in the safety group.”
Perry agrees the secondary will play a huge role in improving the Patriots’ record next season.
“The versatility that you have in the secondary will allow (defensive coordinator) Terrell Williams, (head coach) Mike Vrabel to get creative with how they deploy these guys. I look at how Vrabel deployed his safeties in Tennessee and they were really everywhere, all of them. …
“I think the secondary and the improvements they’ve made is a great example of a stone-cold lock of a reason why they will be better in 2025.”
Also in the episode: