NFL free agents 2022: Ranking the top 10 safeties originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
One of the many position groups in which the New England Patriots have experienced unique stability is safety.
For a six-season span from 2014-19, the top three players on the depth chart for the Patriots always included Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon.
Top 2022 NFL free agents by position: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | EDGE | LB | CB | K | Top 25 overall
But Chung opted out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately retiring. Harmon also left after 2019, traded to the Detroit Lions before winding up with the Atlanta Falcons, leaving only McCourty in the fold.
Both Chung and Harmon have been replaced by more-than-capable players in Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips, respectively. With McCourty set to become an unrestricted free agent, do the Patriots have another replacement lined up?
Re-signing McCourty should absolutely be a priority for New…