Heading into every NFL season, prognosticators dissect each team's strengths and weaknesses after watching training camp and the preseason over the summer.
As always, each team's biggest concerns start to surface, with many pundits pointing to the Patriots' edge-rusher group as a potential weak link in New England's defense. However, head coach Mike Vrabel didn't seem concerned about his outside linebackers back in June, and although it's early days in the regular season, Vrabel seems to be on the right side of history.
"That's a good group. I'm excited about adding (Dre'Mont Jones), the development of (Elijah) Ponder," Vrabel said during Patriots minicamp. "That group has done a nice job."
During the first four weeks, the Patriots rank 15th among all 32 edge groups with a pressure rate of 12.4%, according to NextGen Stats. The Pats trio of Jones, Ponder, and second-rounder Gabe Jacas has tallied five sacks, 31 total pressures, 10 stuffed runs, a fumble-recovery touchdown (Ponder), and an interception (Jacas). Although it's not league-leading production just yet, it's certainly better than many expected.
As the veteran in the room, Jones has fit in seamlessly, and the free-agent addition ranks second among qualified edge rushers with a 23.3% pass-rush win rate. Only Lions star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is beating blockers in the pass rush at a higher rate than Jones, who tallied a team-high six pressures in New England's season opener vs. the Seahawks and posted five pressures after returning from a one-week absence due to a shoulder injury in a statement win over the Bills in Week 4.
Ponder, an undrafted rookie signing in 2025, is making the year-two leap with a team-high 13 pressures while he's on pace for double-digit sacks. And then there's Jacas. The exciting rookie is tied for eighth among edge rushers with six stuffed runs and his 10 pressures are the most by a first-year Patriot in his first four games since New England drafted Chandler Jones in 2012.
Beyond box-score production, the Patriots' edge rushers are doing things that don't show up on the stat sheet. Last week, a big reason New England upset the Bills was holding Allen to just one 4-yard scramble, keeping the Bills QB from taking over the game with his legs, a feat Vrabel credited to discipline in keeping Allen in the pocket.
"They pretty much took one for the team. You can't just come under over there and then Spencer Brown throws you inside, Josh goes and extends and guys uncover. They were very unselfish, and that's what you have to be if you want to win football games," Vrabel said. "When you show him as many plays as we did of him going out to his right and making explosive plays, either running for 20 yards or throwing the ball for much more than that, they realized, 'Okay, yeah, this is an issue. This is going to be an issue if this guy gets out there.'"
After limiting Bills QB Josh Allen in a huge 29-26 win in Buffalo last week, Jones, an eight-year veteran, knows the Patriots can't rest on their laurels. Still, the veteran voice in the Patriots outside linebacker room knew there were doubters outside the building.
"I said it before when I was asked during camp, these boys are underrated," Jones said of Jacas and Ponder. "People talk about how we're underrated and I think we're showing that. We have a lot more to prove. It's only been a month. There's no time to hang up a jersey and say we're the best ever. But I think we've done a good job so far and we have to keep going – we're trying to win more than two games."
Although players try to tune out the outside noise, Ponder said he was motivated by the Patriots outside linebackers being overlooked heading into the season.
"It was motivating for sure, but I don't really pay attention to social media per se. Everybody has something to say. I'm trying not to worry about what other people think," said Ponder.
After emerging as a situational pass-rusher in his rookie season, Ponder leads the group in sacks (2.5) and snap rate (76.8%) through four games. The Cal Poly product made a strong first impression as a pass rusher, but he's rounded out his game as an edge-setter on early downs against the run, making him a three-down player in the Patriots defense in his second season.
At 6-3, 261 pounds, Ponder's speed and bend off the edge have given opposing offensive tackles problems. For instance, the second-year pro's "ghost" rush is one of his best moves, where he throws an initial fake like he's going to bull rush (long arm), then dips underneath to turn a tight corner around the offensive tackle's outside edge. Like many young players, Ponder believes the "year-two leap" is real and has helped him break out early in his second season, citing an improved comfort level in the NFL.
"Yeah, for sure," Ponder said when asked if the year-two leap is real. "As an undrafted rookie, you go in not knowing what to expect. You want to be there, you want to make the team, you want to make sure you learn all the things you need to learn, and apply them on the field to the best of your ability. I was a lot more, at least for me, in my head (as a rookie)."
Along with Jones's seamless fit and Ponder's year-two leap, Patriots second-rounder Gabe Jacas has been a revelation through his first four games. Jacas's pro career started slowly when an injury and contract holdout caused a late start to training camp. Then the preseason wasn't great for the rookie, who at times looked like the game was moving too fast for him.
As a former outside linebacker himself, Vrabel has taken a liking to Jacas and begun grooming the 55th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. During the preseason, the Pats head coach called out Jacas on the sideline during New England's preseason opener vs. the Colts. The cameras caught Vrabel showing Jacas some tough love, and that moment has become a turning point in Jacas's rookie season. Vrabel's hard coaching of Jacas led to a surprising source giving the rookie his own pep talk. Patriots wideout A.J. Brown shared his perspective on why Vrabel was tough on Jacas, based on his own experience with the Patriots head coach as a rookie with the Titans in 2019.
"We were just talking about how it was difficult for him at first because (Vrabel) was hard to read. But that just means he sees something special in me. He sees the same thing in me that he did in (Brown)," said Jacas. "(Vrabel) played my position in this league for a long time and that's why he's so attentive to this position because he obviously played it at the highest level. Vrabes is definitely hands-on and vocal as well. Having him as a coach is great."
Once the regular season began, the switch flipped for Jacas, who credited his improved comfort level to game-planning for opponents during the practice week. In the preseason, teams don't do much film study to prepare for games. For the most part, they just go out there and play in base schemes. During the season, they're hyper-focused on studying opponents, which has helped the game slow down for Jacas.
For example, Jacas had a terrific run stop by reading a long trap scheme coming his way. The Pats rookie recognized the down blocks by the left side of the offensive line and got his eyes to the pulling guard. Jacas then discards RG Ezra Cleveland and puts the running back into the turf for a short gain.
Another standout rep last week was Jacas flashing his go-to bull rush in the pass rush. The rookie sees Bills QB Josh Allen carry out a play-action fake and transitions from run defender to pass rusher. By getting his hands inside to unlock his power, Jacas sends Bills Pro Bowl LT Dion Dawkins to the ground and forces Allen into a dangerous throwaway.
"I'm a speed-to-power guy, so just using that to my advantage," Jacas said of bull-rushing Dawkins. "Obviously, a really good player. But I'm focused on this week against the Raiders and seeing what I can do to continue to improve."
Although it's too early to throw any parades, the Patriots edge-rushing trio has exceeded expectations thanks to strong play from Jacas, Jones, and Ponder so far this season.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
