3 under the radar players to watch on defense

With every offseason, positional battles become a talking point for fans and media alike. This one was no different. On both sides of the ball, the Patriots added players that they will hope will make an impact on the team come September. While none of these signings were as flashy as the ones the team made the last offseason, they will still hopefully help out in any way that they can.

With training camp coming up at the end of July and positional battles already emerging, let’s take a look at three under-the-radar players to watch for on New England’s defense this upcoming season.

Safety Jabrill Peppers

To be perfectly honest, I have loved Peppers ever since he was drafted back in 2017. The positional versatility and speed that he put on display while playing at the University of Michigan seemed like it would fit well in New England’s defense, but he was ultimately taken by the Cleveland Browns in the first round before the Patriots had the chance to select him.

Although Peppers’ NFL career has thus far underwhelmed for his first-round draft pedigree, he comes to New England possessing great versatile ability at a relatively cheap contract value (1-year, $2 million). Peppers possesses the size and strength to make him one of a number of players on the Patriots’ defense that can slot into a hybrid linebacker/safety role.

While New England already has two other players in Adrian Phillips and Kyle Dugger who can also play the hybrid linebacker/safety role, adding a third player in Peppers with that versatile ability could allow the Patriots to use more nickel and dime defensive packages and lessen the need to have a true middle linebacker out on the field. Given New England’s lack of depth and experience within their inside linebacker group, it seems as if they will be relying more on nickel and dime packages this upcoming season, and Peppers could end up being an integral part of those defensive schemes.

Linebacker Raekwon McMillan

McMillan is due for a breakout year. The five-year veteran out of Ohio State University garnered a fair load of offseason hype for the Patriots last summer before tearing his ACL in early August and missing the entire season. The injury bug has largely been the main reason why McMillan’s career has yet to truly get off the ground, as the linebacker has played just one full season in his five years in the NFL. However, McMillan’s physical…