One Starting Job the Patriots Are Happy They Don't Have to Answer Today
The New England Patriots are lucky that their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks is just more than 50 days away. It gives them plenty of time to figure out what to do with the edge rusher position.
If the season was starting now, or within the month, the defending AFC champions might have been a bit shorthanded off the edge. As it stands right now, two of their top players (Gabe Jacas and Harold Landry) haven't participated in spring practices and remain question marks heading into training camp next week.
Sure, they got really solid contributions from the players playing in their place this spring. But without two of best edge rushers still being question marks at this time in the year isn't always the best sign.
To look at it through a glass half full perspective, we still have plenty of time until meaningful football begins. Week 1 is not right in front of our faces, and that's a good thing. There is time for Landry -- who suffered a knee injury early into last season that really hampered his production -- to get healthy. There is time for Jacas to nail down his contract negotiations. There is time.
There's a saving grace, though it still feels like an issue ready to boil over.
When asked earlier in the spring about potentially adding to the room, head coach Mike Vrabel downplayed the idea that they may need some new faces off the edge. He had full faith in the current group.
"That's a good group. I'm excited about adding Dre'(Mont Jones), the development of (Elijah) Ponder and (Bradyn) Swinson. We added (Jesse) Luketa and some young guys," Vrabel said at mandatory minicamp. "Again, we'll continue to try to look at every position and make it stronger, but that group has done a nice job.
"Again, we'll continue to look at it, but we'll have to see where we are at numbers-wise, and when we get into training camp just how many guys you can rep, based on the practices."
Question Marks Remain At Edge Rusher
He didn't mention Landry or Jacas, though. That could just be reading too deep into the lines, but it's clear that the team -- at least in the spring -- was fully operating like they weren't going to be ready for the time being.
In mandatory minicamp, the duo of Swinson and Ponder really popped. The pair of second-year players took over the starting roles alongside Jones, and looked the part. Both players have interesting career paths to this point, but now find themselves in a really good spot to earn a place on this year's roster.
Ponder, an undrafted rookie out of Cal Poly last year, parlayed a really strong preseason into a job on the 53-man roster. He was mainly used on special teams, but eventually got an uptick in defensive snaps later in the year. He essentially took the roster spot from Swinson, the former LSU star who the Patriots used a draft pick on.
Those two, plus the free agent Jones, make up a capable three. That just doesn't feel like enough right now.
Dre'Mont Jones Can Help On Run Defense
Jones has bounced around the league since coming out of Ohio State. He's talented and versatile, and is a willing defender against the run. That's part of the reason why the Patriots decided to sign him over K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency, who led the team in sacks a year ago.
Chaisson departed to join the Washington Commanders, which felt fine ... right? After all, the team was expected Landry to return to form and to use a draft pick on a rookie (which they did in the second round). So it was alright to choose a run stopper over someone who can get to the quarterback.
That decision isn't looking like the best ahead of camp.
Veterans have to report to the facility a week from today, so that will be the next opportunity to guage where the Patriots' edge is. Landry was present at minicamp, even though he didn't participate. Jacas, still without a contract, was not.
It's safe to say that both players will be behind the 8-ball by the time training camp starts, for one reason or another.
But we are still ways away from kicking off the NFL season, and that's good news for the Patriots.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as One Starting Job the Patriots Are Happy They Don't Have to Answer Today.
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This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 7:30 AM.