The Boston Sports Journal 2026 NFL Scouting Combine preview rolls on with a look at the defensive invites. As alluded to in our NFL Combine Offensive Preview, a total of 319 players were invited to Indianapolis this year. The breakdown includes the 166 offensive players we previously highlighted, along with an additional 146 defensive players and seven specialists who are listed below. Despite finishing with the eighth-ranked overall defense in the NFL this past year, look for New England to address several concerns this offseason, with the 2026 NFL Draft playing a large role.
A nice crop of edge rushers is set to arrive in Indy this week, a position that New England is sure to monitor. The Patriots took a flier on LSU product Bradyn Swinson in the fifth round a year ago, who bounced back-and-forth between the practice squad and appeared in just three games, In 2023, the organization invested a second round pick (No.46 overall) on Georgia Tech enigma Keion White, who was dealt off at the trade deadline in Ocaober, after producing just six sacks in 38 games played. Should New England be serious about adding a high-impact edge rusher to go alongside Harold Landry in this year's draft, their first-round selection may serve as their lone opportunity. A total of 63 defensive linemen were invited to the combine, with the majority being edge rusher prospects, so the Pats will surely be busy keeping up tabs on this group inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Other defensive positional invites include 29 linebackers and 47 defensive backs, another area where New England could choose to focus (more on that a bit further down). One notable local product who received the call to Indy is Boston College edge rusher Quintavious Hutchins, who is fresh off his Senior Bowl performance, where he flashed excellent burst and bend. Due to height and length limitations, Hutchins is viewed more as a developmental Day 3 target and should test well this week. Additionally, seven specialists will attend the combine, all of whom are either kickers or punters. Let's dig in ...
EDGE RUSHERS AND DEFENSIVE TACKLES
The Patriots enter the offseason with more questions than answers surrounding their defensive line, with reinforcements potentially needed at both the edge and on the interior. Pending free agent K'Lavon Chaisson has expressed his desire to return to Foxborough, but the 26-year-old outside linebacker is expected to be in demand on the open market and will be seeking a much higher pay raise than the $3M he earned in 2025, registering seven and a half sacks. The 2026 NFL Draft Class is loaded with prominent pass-rushers, which could be the direction New England opts to go in with its first-round pick (No.31 overall). With a premium value placed on edge rushers, expect to see quite a few come off the board early. Top-rated prospects such as David Bailey of Texas Tech and Reuben Bain of Miami are expected to be selected inside the top 10 overall selections. However, the arm length of Bain is expected to be a major topic in Indianapolis, as he will reportedly measure in around 31 inches, which could cause him to slide. Hurricanes counterpart Akheem Mesidor could also find his way into the first round equation with a strong combine performance, and may be an option in round one. New England may take a wait-and-see approach to see if any players such as TJ Parker of Clemson, Keldric Faulk of Auburn or Zion Young of Missouri, slide to them. Otherwise, if a run on pass rusher occurs early on Day 1, the Patriots could be looking at an option such as Cashius Howell of Texas A&M, who enjoyed a career year with 11.5 sacks. While he lacks prototypical size, Howell has the explosion and bend necessary to be a successful pro and would fit at the outside linebacker role that Chaisson shone in. New England should have plenty of options at the back end of round one to seek a replacement, if needed.
On the inside, the team will need to make a decision on defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who is still owed $48M guaranteed and is due an additional $10M of his guaranteed on the third league day of this year. With Barmore facing an assault and battery charge, New England could opt to part ways, saving $11.5M in cap space for this year. In this scenario, defensive tackle could be an option with the first round draft choice. Potential targets include Peter Woods of Clemson, who brings quick burst and athleticism but lacks the inside pass-rush repertoire, such as Barmore, along with Kayden McDonald of Ohio State, who had a breakout campaign during his first year as a starter. McDonald served as a run-stuffing enforcer for the Buckeyes and had nine tackles for loss, demonstrating his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. One player worth monitoring this week in Indianapolis is Texas Tech menace Lee Hunter. Labeled by NFL scouts as a two-down run specialist, Hunter flashes innate athleticism and has the tools to expand upon his ability to get after the quarterback, making him a dark horse candidate for New England at No.31.
Vincent Anthony Jr., Duke
David Bailey, Texas Tech
Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Cameron Ball,Arkansas
Caleb Banks, Florida
Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
Nick Barrett, South Carolina
Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
Brandon Cleveland, N.C. State
Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
Keyron Crawford, Auburn
Caden Curry, Ohio State
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Zane Durant, Penn State
Bryson Eason, Tennessee
Deven Eastern, Minnesota
Logan Fano, Utah
Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Skyler Gill-Howard, Texas Tech
George Gumbs Jr., Florida
David Gusta, Kentucky
Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
Zxavian Harris, Mississippi
Romello Height, Texas Tech
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
Lee Hunter,Texas Tech
Quintayvious Hutchins, Boston College
Gabe Jacas, Illinois
Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
Bobby Jamison-Travis, Auburn
Marvin Jones Jr., Oklahoma
Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Nyjalik Kelly, UCF
Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Max Llewellyn, Iowa
Anthony Lucas, USC
Jackie Marshall, Baylor
Chris McClellan, Missouri
Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Akheem Mesidor, Miami
Christen Miller, Georgia
Derrick Moore, Michigan
Trey Moore, Texas
Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
Domonique Orange, Iowa State
LT Overton, Alabama
T.J. Parker, Clemson
Patrick Payton, LSU
Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana
Jack Pyburn, LSU
Albert Regis, Texas A&M
Mason Reiger, Wisconsin
Tyreak Sapp, Florida
Gary Smith III, UCLA
R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan
Damonic Williams, Oklahoma
Wesley Williams, Duke
Peter Woods, Clemson
Zion Young, Missouri
LINEBACKERS
While linebacker is not expected to be at the top of the list for the Patriots draft needs, an unusually stacked class may force them to at least consider the quality of depth that could be available well into Day 3. Special teams standout and key backup Jack Gibbons will be a restricted free agent and should find his way back to Foxborough. Otherwise, the starting tandem of Robert Spillane and Christian Ellis remains under contract. One of the biggest X-factors in this year's draft is Harold Perkins of LSU. Utilized as a pass-rusher early on in his career, Perkins has starred in an off-ball linebacker role for the Tigers. However, medical concerns have scouts divided as to where his draft value could land, with opinions varying from anywhere on Day 1 to Day 3. It's a huge week for Perkins, who could still be hanging around on the final day of the draft and is viewed as a chess piece, such as former NFL first-round pick Myles Jack (Jaguars). Another under-the-radar prospect would be Indiana de facto captain Aiden Fisher, who isn't likely to wow anyone in Indy with his athletic testing but is a smart, fundamentally sound linebacker who comes up big in the clutch. Should either of these options still be available on the final day of the draft, it could be too tempting for New England to pass up.
CJ Allen, Georgia
Lander Barton, Utah
Wesley Bissainthe, Miami
Bryce Boettcher, Oregon
Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU
Keyshaun Elliott, Arizona State
Aiden Fisher, Indiana
Eric Gentry, USC
Jake Golday, Cincinnati
Owen Heinecke, Oklahoma
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Justin Jefferson, Alabama
Jack Kelly, BYU
Deontae Lawson, Alabama
Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Red Murdock, Buffalo
Namdi Obiazor, TCU
Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Jimmy Rolder, Michigan
Karson Sharar, Iowa
Xavian Sorey Jr., Arkansas
Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Josiah Trotter, Missouri
Scooby Williams, Texas A&M
Wade Woodaz, Clemson
Taurean York, Texas A&M
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The secondary was an area of strength for the Patriots in 2025, led by All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who could be in line for an extension this offseason. Fellow corners Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones provided veteran stability, but the depth beyond could be upgraded. Should New England seek help via the draft, it would likely come on the final day, where they hold eight selections, including four picks in the sixth round. It's very possible that some formidable options will still be on the board in that range. Players such as Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis of Washington are viewed as Day 3 targets, and both offer extreme length at the position, which could pair well opposite of Gonzalez. The North Carolina Tar Heels also own a duo of late-round prospects in Thaddeus Dixon and Marcus Allen, who spent this past season under the tutelage of old friend Bill Belichickdown in Chapel Hill. While Allen projects more as a boundary corner, Dixon offers inside/outside flexibility and is considered a high-character player with multiple years of starting experience.
At the safety spot, things could become a bit more complicated. One of the more pleasant surprises in 2025 was the rookie performance of Craig Woodson, who greatly outplayed his fourth-round status, starting 15 games for the team. However, deep safety Jaylinn Hawkins led the Patriots in interceptions (four) this past year and is set to hit free agency. At 28 years old, the savvy vet is expected to command an annual salary of about $8M, according to Spotrac, much more than his $1.8M salary of a year ago. Should the asking price be too rich for his services, New England may then need to consider draft alternatives. The sweet spot to land an impact safety figures to come on Day 2, where New England owns the No.63 and No.95 selections. Several lengthy, athletic safeties are expected to be available in that range who would serve as viable replacements. Players such as Zakee Wheatley of Penn State, Jakobe Thomas of Miami and VJ Payne of Kansas State would be candidates who could start immediately. Another option who could have a big week in Indy would be Genesis Smith of Arizona, who offers great range and flexibility. Fewer options will be available on the final day but one player who stood out at the East-West Shrine Bowl (much like Woodson a year ago) was Jalen Huskeyof Maryland, who has experience at both free and strong safety.
Keith Abney II, Arizona State
Marcus Allen, North Carolina
Jadon Canady, Oregon
Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Bud Clark, TCU
Tacario Davis, Washington
Mansoor Delane, LSU
Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin
Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina
Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Daylen Everette, Georgia
Bishop Fitzgerald, USC
Andre Fuller, Toledo
Jaylon Guilbeau, Texas
TJ Hall, Iowa
Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech
A.J. Haulcy, LSU
Colton Hood, Tennessee
Jalen Huskey, Maryland
Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
Domani Jackson, Alabama
Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Dalton Johnson, Arizona
Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina
Will Lee III, Texas A&M
Hezekiah Masses, Cal
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
Devin Moore, Florida
Louis Moore, Indiana
Ahmaad Moses, SMU
Malik Muhammad, Texas
Julian Neal, Arkansas
Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
VJ Payne, Kansas State
D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Toriano Pride Jr., Missouri
Ephesians Prysock, Washington
Kamari Ramsey, USC
Chandler Rivers, Duke
Keionte Scott, Miami
DeShon Singleton, Nebraska
Avery Smith, Toledo
Genesis Smith, Arizona
Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma
Treydan Stukes, Arizona
Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ohio State
Michael Taaffe, Texas
Avieon Terrell, Clemson
Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Jakobe Thomas, Miami
Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
Collin Wright, Stanford
SPECIAL TEAMS
New England has stated that they wish to place a greater emphasis on building up their core special teams unit, but the mainstay positions remain intact. Specialists such as kicker Andy Borregales and punter Bryce Baringer are expected to assume their roles. In addition, the combination of punt returner Marcus Jones and kick returner Kyle Williams remains satisfactory, while Efton Chism III is capable of filling in at either role. One spot where the Patriots could bring in some competition is at long snapper, where they invested a seventh-round selection on Julian Ashbyin last year's draft. While Ashby will enter training camp as the favorite to win the job, the team could bring in an additional body following the draft. However, there are no official combine invites at that position.
Tommy Doman Jr., Florida (Punter)
Ryan Eckley, Michigan State (Punter)
Trey Smack, Florida (Kicker)
Drew Stevens, Iowa (Kicker)
Jack Stonehouse, Syracuse (Punter)
Brett Thorson, Georgia (Punter)
Dominic Zvada, Michigan (Kicker)
Be sure to check back at Boston Sports Journal for our on-location coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine from Indianapolis all next week! Ric Serritella has been covering the NFL Draft for the past 24 seasons, follow him on @NFLDraftBible.
