New England Patriots Feature Formidable 3-Man Pass-Rush Rotation

From 2012-2014, the New England Patriots depth chart at defensive end was characterized by its lack of depth. For three years, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich bore the brunt of the snap count because the Patriots simply didn’t have enough options behind them.

That all changed in 2015 with the addition of veteran Jabaal Sheard to the lineup.

Even now with the Patriots trading Jones to the Arizona Cardinals and signing former St. Louis Rams stalwart Chris Long, the Patriots still appear to have a strong trio of pass-rushers to keep everyone fresh and provide consistent pressure on the quarterback.

The group is not much different than before. Instead of a Jones-Ninkovich-Sheard trio, it will now be Ninkovich-Sheard-Long. On the surface, it might look like a downgrade. Underneath, it’s truly not much different than before. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Sheard was the NFL’s most productive pass-rushing defensive end in 2015 on a per-snap basis. He rushed the passer 346 times and came away with 58 total pressures (45 hurries, five hits, eight sacks). His status as the team’s top pass-rusher is well-deserved, and it helps lend some context as to why the Patriots might have felt more confident in moving on from Jones.

Jones ranked 13th on that same list, but of his combined pressures, he logged all but 14 of them in the first 10 games of the season and the rest in the final five games. He faded down the stretch several times throughout his four-year stint with the Patriots.

Against 127 hurries, 37 hits …

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