FOXBORO — Last year, the Patriots fielded an above-average defense despite playing most of the season without two of their best players.
Their challenge now: do it again.
Though most of its top 2023 contributors are back, New England will enter the 2024 campaign without the services of Pro Bowl edge rusher Matthew Judon, who was traded to Atlanta after a prolonged contract dispute, and stud defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who was diagnosed with blood clots months after signing a lucrative contract extension.
Adequately filling those two major front-seven voids will be a priority for first-year defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
The plan to replace Judon starts with second-year defensive end Keion White, who is projected to start opposite veteran Anfernee Jennings in Sunday’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Joshua Uche and impressive newcomer Oshane Ximines should get plenty of snaps in sub packages, with D-end Deatrich Wise and linebacker Jahlani Tavai also playing on the edge in certain looks.
Covington said Judon’s absences from practice this spring and summer — not to mention the 13 games he missed last season after tearing his biceps — gave the coaching staff ample opportunities to evaluate his understudies.
“One of the things with Judon not being here, and then all through the spring, too, there’s opportunities for players to show what they can do,” he said. “Even when he was on our team in the spring, he wasn’t here during the OTA phase, which gave those guys the opportunity and the reps. We used training camp, spring, OTAs for that opportunity to see what we can do, and that’s how you develop — whether it’s a core starter, or you develop your backups, your rotational players.
“We’ve got plenty of players on our team that can fill in those roles. (It’s a) next-man mentality, and we’ve got players who are ready for that. We believe in them as a coaching staff, they believe in themselves, and they’ve earned the right and earned the trust of their teammates.”
Without Barmore, the Patriots will be leaning on Daniel Ekuale, who’s expected to start alongside Davon Godchaux. The 30-year-old Ekuale has been a solid player for New England, but he’s mostly been used as an interior pass rusher. Will he be able to hold up against the run on early downs?
“He’s gonna have to, right?” defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said, bluntly. “He’s who we have. I think he’s had a decent camp, but (expletive) or get off the pot, right? It’s his time to shine, so take advantage of that opportunity.”
Behind Godchaux and Ekuale on the D-tackle depth chart are Jeremiah Pharms, post-cutdown waiver pickup Eric Johnson and practice squadder Trysten Hill.
The Patriots should have a strong secondary — especially if Christian Gonzalez lives up to his No. 1 cornerback potential in his return from a season-ending shoulder injury — but will miss the pass-rushing prowess that Judon and Barmore brought. Barmore led the team in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures during his breakout 2023 season, and Judon did the same in 2021 and ’22.
But Covington, who coached the Patriots’ D-line for the last four seasons, is confident they have the pieces in place to withstand those two high-profile losses.
“I think when you think about our defense, period, we’re good as a unit,” Covington said. “That’s what we do. We’re good as a unit. We’re not an individual-based defense, like, ‘We’re going to win because of this person.’ We’re going to win because we play well as a team and we play good team defense and play with fundamentals and we play aggressive and we do what we’re supposed to do. That’s why we win. That’s why we’re going to win, and that’s how we’ve done it really in the past, too.”