Patriots 2026 S Preview: Youth, Wisdom Highlight Top Pairing
For most of this century, the New England Patriots have always seemed to have experiences players playing safety. Rodney Harrison. Devin McCourty. Patrick Chung. Duron Harmon. The list goes on.
They went out and brought in someone who fits that mold perfectly this offseason, signing veteran Kevin Byard to a one-year contract. They'll have him line up right next to Craig Woodson, the second-year player who shined as a rookie.
The Patriots may not have the deepest room in terms of players who could all factor into the defensive scheme, but at the top of the depth chart, they may be among the NFL's best.
As we head through the late spring/early summer practice portion of the year, we'll be taking a look at each of the position groups on the Patriots ahead of the 2026 training camp slate. The safeties have a real opportunity to be the strongest part of this team's defense this season.
Current Depth Chart:
- Kevin Byard (#31) - 11th Season, First With Patriots
- Craig Woodson (#4) - Second Season, Second With Patriots
- Mike Brown (#33) - Fifth Season, First With Patriots
- Dell Pettus (#24) - Third Season, Third With Patriots
- John Saunders Jr. (#23) - Second Season, Second With Patriots
- Peter Manuma (#34) - First Season, First With Patriots
- Brenden Schooler (#41) - Fifth Season, Fifth With Patriots
In free agency, the Patriots let Jaylinn Hawkins walk and replaced him with Byard, one of Mike Vrabel's favorite players from when he coached him on the Tennessee Titans. They also went out and added Mike Brown, another former Titan, to the room. The rest of the group, except for the undrafted rookie Manuma, remains the same from a year ago. Brown, Pettus and Manuma all have cases to be made to be major contributors on special teams this summer.
2025 Season In Review:
Woodson was drafted in the fourth round last year, and immediately came in to replace Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger in the starting lineup. Both of those holdovers from the Belichick/Mayo eras were let go by midseason, allowing Woodson and Hawkins to play next to each other.
Both players were fantastic. Woodson came along as the year progressed and really showed his skills in the Super Bowl. Hawkins parlayed a career year into a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens. His replacement, Byard, led the NFL in interceptions (seven) and brings a wealth of experience to the room.
As for the depth players, both Brown and Pettus were sparingly used on defense. Brown, who played in nine games with the Titans, made just three tackles and played in 76% of special teams snaps that he could have. It was a similar second year for Pettus, who played in all 17 regular season games and recorded his second-career sack. Brenden Schooler, one of New England's special team aces, also chipped in defensively.
The one new face in the room -- Hawaii's Manuma -- is coming off a senior year in which he was named the program's defensive MVP. To earn a roster spot, he had to come to New England by way of a rookie minicamp invitation. He then was given a contract after the three-day tryout.
Strengths:
One major strength that Byard brings to New England, and it's something he hopes he can teach Woodson, is the art of creating turnovers. As a rookie, Woodson had just one interception and it came in the postseason. Byard's 36 interceptions in his career -- the most by any player since 2016 -- are a major reason why he's able to last in the NFL.
Another reason why is his ability to stay healthy. He hasn't missed a game since he entered the league. Based on what his past seasons have told us, it's clear that the Patriots don't need to worry about trying to replace Byard in the starting lineup each week. We know he'll be there each Sunday.
Woodson's biggest strength, something that he showed a national audience in February, was how willing he is to come up and play the run. Whether it's moving up into the box or coming in via a blitz, the young safety is happy to meet players at the line of scrimmage. Brown and Schooler also have a willingness to play aggressive against the run.
It's not a defensive strength, but this group has plenty of special teams capabilities that will only help the team in the long run. Schooler will likely be the special teams captain for the second-straight year, while Brown, Pettus and Manuma could each end up being the personal protector on the top punt unit this summer.
Weaknesses:
It's something that both Woodson and Byard aren't the best at, but there are both limited in man coverage. Byard is more experienced in the secondary and doesn't overreact to plays, but Woodson sometimes jumps a tad when he's up against a receiver 1-on-1.
They also aren't the lengthiest duo to play the position. Byard is 5-foot-11, while Woodson is an even six feet. What they might lack in height, they can make up with their natural talents, but it sometimes can lead to them getting boxed out by bigger receivers/tight ends.
It's not like the rest of the group has much height either. Pettus is 5-foot-11, and both Brown and Manuma are six feet even, The tallest safeties they have are 6-foot-2 Schooler and 6-foot-2 John Saunders Jr, who doesn't project to make the roster right now.
2026 Outlook:
It was one of the team's best units a year ago, and there is no reason why it can't be just as good, if not better, in 2026. Another year of Woodson's development, something he talked about during the offseason, can only be improved upon with the Byard addition.
The cornerbacks position may get more of the shine when people nationally talk about the Patriots' secondary, but the safeties can easily have just as impactful season playing both the run and the pass this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots 2026 S Preview: Youth, Wisdom Highlight Top Pairing.
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This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM.