NFL: Breaking down the 2015 New England Patriots

Defensive line

Starters: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Alan Branch, Sealver Silga

Depth: Jabaal Sheard, Dominique Easley, Chris Jones, Zach Moore, Joe Vellano, Antonio Johnson, Chris Jones, Malcolm Brown [R], Geneo Grissom [R], Trey Flowers [R], Xzavier Dickson

The Patriots were hoping for more from Chandler Jones at defensive end last season, but injuries and some questionable role he was asked to play stymied the 2014 season. Chandler should see an improvement, and his versatility allows him to both rush from the edge or line up at linebacker and drop into coverage. If he can stay healthy, he should see a lot better season. Across from him is Rob Ninkovich, probably the team’s best pass rusher off the edge but no slouch against the run either.

Moving inside we have (current) starting takles Alan Branch and Sealver Silga. I put current in there because with the departure of Vince Wilfork, the team is hoping rookie Malcolm Brown will step in to one of the two spots. However right now he hasn’t been handed that position—he’s going to have to earn it in camp.  He certainly has the skills to do so, as he is a tremendous space-eating run blocker, able to tie up multiple blockers as well as make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

He has to beat out Sealver Silga and Alan Branch though. Silga became a starter for the Patriots (including in the Super Bowl) for New England after being cut from the practice squad of the Seahawks (oh sweet irony). He’s not assured anything though, and has to keep the level of play up. Alan Branch is a veteran run stopper and is the less likely of the two to lose his job to the rookie Brown. He’s especially important on early downs when teams run more.

For the backups, Domonique Easley offers some upside but health was a problem as je dealt with knee issues his rookie season. The Patriots have been desperately looking for a three-and Easley could be that guy but he’s got a crowd in front of him.

I’ve always liked Jabaal Sheard despite not really fitting in at the outside linebacker spot for Cleveland. He’ll be able to reach his potential as a defensive end in the Patriots’ 4-3 defense, though you can expect him to start off on a rotational basis. I wouldn’t be shocked if he won more time as the season progressed though.

Chris Jones has been s a solid pass-rusher in his first two years and will see some time in sub-packages to start the season. Meanwhile, according to NESN.com’s Doug Kyed, Zach Moore has added some weight in an effort to gain some strength. That could be important, as Kyed points out that with four rookies and Sheard being added to the mix, Moore could end up as a tackle. He’s certainly going to fight for his position.

Speaking of the rookies, Geneo Grissom likely has the best chance to make an impact on the roster after Brown. The Pats love versatility and Grissom can play with a hand in the dirt or standing up. He’s even solid out of the two-point stance. They can kick him inside or have him come off the edge as well and if they’ve got a need at linebacker, he might be able to fill in there.

It’s a tougher climb for Xzavier Dickson who played outside linebacker in college. We’ve seen a lot of guys try to make the transition and fail, and given that Dickson is an average pass-rusher and a below-average run-stopper, he might be a practice squad candidate

Trey Flowers is another strong rookie candidate to stick around due to an overabundance of aggressiveness, but he lacks length and doesn’t quite have the bulk teams want at the end. He can add mass, but there’s nothing you can do about length. You might see more of him on first downs than third.

Overall this is a strong group and there is a lot of potential here to be even better.

Next: Linebackers