New England Patriots

The Pats boasted a bottom-10 pass rush last season. They lost their sack leader in free agency and replaced him with Dre'Mont Jones. NE seems like a unit that could regress with a more difficult schedule in 2026 and worse injury luck on defense. Note that despite finishing last year inside the top 5 in fewest points allowed, they were the third-worst red zone defense. Just 23rd overall in defensive DVOA as the 10th-ranked DST. It's probably not worth reaching on too early based on their tougher opening 4 matchups against the formidable Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars, and Bills.

The Pats were the DST8 in fantasy points per game last year, and they could be a top-ten unit again in 2026. Last year, New England allowed the 14th-fewest net yards per attempt and the 12th-fewest yards per carry. The additions of Kevin Byard and Dre'Mont Jones will help. The back end of this secondary, led by Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones, will still be the strength of this defense.