Marcus Spears Declares Patriots' Defense a Top‑5 Powerhouse After Massive Upgrades

The New England Patriots' defense wasn't the team's biggest issue last season, but it certainly wasn't good, ranking 22nd in the NFL in both yards and points allowed.

In turn, the Patriots went to work improving the unit the last several months, spending a boatload of money on defensive free agents and adding some of the biggest names available such as Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Carlton Davis.

But just how much better did New England get on that side of the ball?

Former NFL defensive end Marcus Spears thinks the Pats will be significantly better in that area, naming them one of the top five most improved defenses heading into 2025.

“Mike Vrabel is bringing back that old 'don’t walk in here and think you aren’t going to get your eye punched out.' ... I love the mentality," Spears said on NFL Live.

The Patriots ranked last in the NFL in sacks last season, finishing with a grand total of 28. They made sure to heavily address that during the offseason, not only adding Williams and Landry, both also signing K'Lavon Chaisson and selecting edge rusher Bradyn Swinson on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

It's also important to remember that New England actually has some impressive holdovers from last year, such as cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive end Keion White. Plus, defensive tackle Christian Barmoe should be back healthy after missing most of 2024 due to blood clots.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the Pats' defense going into the new season, and the fact that they are playing in a pretty soft AFC East division (outside of the Buffalo Bills, of course) should definitely help the Patriots' case.

That said, results are what matter, so we'll see if New England can actually deliver in the fall.