Previewing the Patriots’ outside linebackers heading into the offseason.
The New England Patriots entered their 2024 training camp with some promise at the outside linebacker position. On paper, the top quartet of Matthew Judon, Anfernee Jennings, Joshua Uche and free agency pickup Oshane Ximines had the potential to solidify the edge in the run game while also providing some pressure versus the pass.
However, by the end of the season only Jennings remained on the 53-man roster. Ximines was out with an injury suffered in early September, while Judon and Uche were both traded.
Looking forward to 2025, it is therefore no surprise that the edge is of a major concern.
Patriots edge depth chart
Anfernee Jennings: Coming off a breakout campaign as one of the best run defenders in the league, Jennings returned to New England on a three-year, $12 million extension. He delivered another quality campaign in the run game, and also had a career year as a pass rusher with 2.5 sacks and a combined 31 pressures. He ended the season with 16 starts and ranked third on the team with 831 total defensive snaps (74.3%).
Oshane Ximines: Ximines arrived on a one-year free agency pact, and he looked good in training camp. Poised for a prominent role with Matthew Judon sent to Atlanta in mid-August, he appeared in only two games and by the time he tore his ACL had registered no quarterback pressures and only one tackle.
Titus Leo: Starting his season on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad, he was poached by the Patriots in November. Leo went on to appear in four games for his new club, but his impact was limited: seeing most of his action on special teams, he played just nine defensive snaps — his first since joining the league — as an emergency option along the edge.
Truman Jones: Jones arrived in New England in early December as a practice squad signing after his release from the Kansas City Chiefs’ own developmental roster. He was eventually signed to the 53-man roster for the season finale, playing his first 19 career snaps in that particular game and registering a pair of tackles.
In addition to those four players, the Patriots have also used the versatile potential of others in the past. Defensive ends Keion White and Deatrich Wise Jr., for example, moved to the end of the line regularly as well. The same was true for off-ball linebackers such as Jahlani Tavai.
Offseason preview
Contract statuses: Anfernee Jennings (signed/2026), Oshane Ximines (UFA), Titus Leo (signed/2025), Truman Jones (signed/2025)
Coaching staff: Mike Smith (outside linebackers), Vinny DePalma (defensive assistant), Milton Patterson (defensive assistant)
Out of the four pure outside linebackers currently on the Patriots’ roster, Anfernee Jennings is the only one who can be seen as a proven commodity. Oshane Ximines has experience, but he is both coming off a major knee injury and set to enter unrestricted free agency in March; Titus Leo and Truman Jones have shown little to suggest they can take the next step and develop into rotational pieces on the edge.
What this means is that the Patriots have quite a lot of work to do in order to get the position group back to where it needs to be (and where they thought it was last spring). Luckily for the team, quite a few intriguing options will be available both in free agency and the draft.
The open market, which is expected to see New England and its league-leading $134.8 million in salary cap space be quite ative, is headlined by players such as Josh Sweat, Chase Young and Haason Reddick — all of whom potential starters alongside the Patriots’ front and worthy of an investment. The Patriots are also in position, though, to grab some of the top edge talent available in the draft.
The No. 1 player in that regard is Abdul Carter, a realistic candidate to come off the board first overall and one who would be a terrific addition to New England’s defense. Even if the team misses out on him, however, there is some A-grade talent available later in the first round.
Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Shemar Stewart are names to consider as well. All of them would make sense for the Patriots to help bolster a position group that currently is one of the thinnest on their roster, which is saying something.