Pats Pulpit
The line of scrimmage is where a team can take control of a football game, and that’s the philosophy the New England Patriots’ defensive tackles followed dominantly during head coach Mike Vrabel’s first season in 2025.
That group will look similar heading into training camp, but can they improve with one less established body in the room?
In the next edition of our Patriots training camp preview series, we’ll take a look at New England’s defensive line corps in its entirety and discuss the biggest takeaways heading into the summer practices. Veterans will report to the facility on July 24.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Starters: Milton Williams (27)*, Christian Barmore (26)*, Cory Durden (27)* | Backups: Leonard Taylor III (24)*, Joshua Farmer (23)*, Eric Gregory (25)*, Jeremiah Pharms Jr. (29), David Blay Jr. (23/R), Travis Shaw (21/R)
Veterans Milton Williams and Christian Barmore proved to be one of the most disruptive interior duos in the NFL last season. The pair will once again set the tone for the defensive front in 2026.
Behind them, however, are several defensive linemen who will need to take on larger roles.
Cory Durden was the fourth tackle on the depth chart in 2025, but now slots in as the third fixture in the rotation with Khyiris Tonga heading to Kansas City. He cycled between the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants practice squads throughout the first two years of his career. Though he has since found a home with the Patriots.
Rounding out the projected depth chart is 2025 fourth-round pick Joshua Farmer, who served as reliable depth until a Week 16 hamstring injury ended his rookie season early; Leonard Taylor III, a mid-season practice squad pickup who blocked a crucial field goal attempt in the AFC Championship; and Eric Gregory, who appeared in six games after spending most of the year on the practice squad.
Jeremiah Pharms Jr. falls into that group as well. The 29-year-old was a regular contributor in 2024, playing in 16 games, but saw his role diminish to just three contests the following season.
Finally, David Blay Jr. (Louisiana Tech) and Travis Shaw (Texas) are both undrafted rookie free agents looking to carve out roles during summer camp. Blay, 6-foot-2 and 292 pounds, specializes as a high-motor pass rusher, while Shaw, at 6-foot-5, 334 pounds, sures up the center of the formation as a nose tackle.
In 2025, Tonga was a remarkably productive nose tackle at the forefront of one of the NFL’s best run defenses. In fact, he was so successful at moving opposing linemen that New England’s offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, occasionally used Tonga as a fullback.
Nonetheless, the Chiefs outbid the Patriots for the veteran, leaving a hole at the center of the defensive line formation. But the team didn’t make any notable changes to the interior group after the fact, showing comfort with previous depth pieces.
“I think...
