Patriots training camp is set to begin on Wednesday, July 23.
New England Patriots rookies and veterans will soon report back to Gillette Stadium as training camp is set to kick off. For the now Mike Vrabel-led Patriots, their first practice of the summer will begin on Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Before the players and coaches take the field, our preview series will continue with New England’s edge position.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Depth chart
Starters: Keion White*, Harold Landry III*, K’Lavon Chaisson*, | Backups: Bradyn Swinson* (R), Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder (U-R), Truman Jones
After ranking dead last in sacks last season (28), the Patriots boosted their pass rush by signing Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. Landry was the headline addition, as Mike Vrabel’s former second-round pick inked a three-year, $43.5 million contract after being released by the Titans.
The former Pro Bowler tallied 9.0 sacks last season for Tennessee which marked his third straight season with at least nine sacks (not counting the 2022 season which he missed with a torn ACL). While his sack production and play against the run was still evident last season, some of his pass rush metrics have fallen off as his 4.8 percent pass rush win rate last season ranked 114th out of 119 qualified rushers.
Joining Landry will be former first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson. While the soon-to-be 26-year-old did not live up to expectations in Jacksonville, Chaisson flashed his potential with Las Vegas last season tallying a career-high five sacks — four over the final six weeks of the season. The one-year, $3 million contract given to Chaisson this offseason is a strong bet by New England that the arrow will continue to point upwards.
The last addition to this group was Bradyn Swinson, who New England drafted in the fifth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Swinson broke-out at LSU last season with a 22.1 percent pass rush win rate and ranking top-five in the FBS in pressures, making his slip to the round five another strong bet by the front office.
The top-three additions will join New England’s top two edge defenders from last season in Keion White and Anfernee Jennings. While White looks like a strong fit in Vrabel’s four-down attacking defensive front, Jennings’ fit could find himself on the outside-looking-in. Despite being one of the league’s best run defenders along the edge, Jennings consistently ran with the backup group throughout the spring.
Key Question: Is Keion White trending towards a breakout?
After sharing his frustration with the coaching staff down the stretch last season, White looked at home this spring along the edge in a more aggressive defensive front. He was disruptive in the non-padded sessions and has enjoyed working with new outside linebacker coach Mike Smith, who has an extensive history of working with bigger rushers like White. A Year 3 breakout for the 26-year-old would be a game changer for New England’s pass rush and defense.
X-Factor: K’Lavon Chaisson
Chaisson was one of New England’s more under-the-radar signings in free agency as his deal came four days into free agency. But, the former first rounder was a consistent part of the first team defense this spring in a rotation along the edge with White and Landry. If he can build off his late-season success with Vegas from last season, Chaisson will bring needed juice to New England’s pass rush and be one of the top bargains from free agency.