Grading the signing: Dre’Mont Jones gives New England Patriots much-needed boost to their pass rush

The Dre’Mont Jones signing will help the Patriots’ defense finish better than it did last season.

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
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Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end Dre'Mont Jones (41) celebrates sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the first half of the game at M&T Bank Stadium.
James Lang-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots got on the board early in free agency, signing pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who spent the 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots reunited Jones with Mike Vrabel, who recruited Jones with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Jones joins New England on a three year, $39.5 million deal.

This move is a strong one that should go a long way in boosting the Patriots’ pass rush. New England desperately needed to replace the production left behind by K’Lavon Chaisson, and Jones is a strong way to do so.

Dre’Mont Jones solves Patriots’ biggest pass rush problem, but more moves should come

New England’s pass rush was fairly productive in 2025, finishing 11th in the league in total sacks. However, departing free agent K’Lavon Chaisson accounted for nearly 1/4th of the Patriots’ sacks and over 16% of their total pressures, leaving a massive void at one outside linebacker spot.

Jones can step right in to fill in that vacancy. He is a different player to Chaisson, as Chaisson was more of a finesse rusher, while Jones wins cleanly with power and speed-to-power rushes. Last season, Jones finished with a respectable 51 pressures and eight sacks, while his 15 QB hits tied DeMarcus Lawrence for 11th-most in the league.

Perhaps the biggest advantage the Jones will bring to New England is his run defense. Jones is one of the best run-defending edge rushers in the league. While he isn’t disruptive in the sense of creating splash plays, Jones sets an edge at the point of attack very well, and is as sure a tackler as they come at his position. He’s a very Patriots’ style of player, and he improves their ability to defend the run, a significant problem from last season.

The Patriots should still pursue additions to add more disruption to their pass rush, but Jones is their style of player and is a high-floor addition to boost their front-seven next season. He’s a capable three-down starter they can build around for the foreseeable future.

Grade: B