Before free agency kicks off, and before we dissect the top college prospects entering this year's draft, we're taking a look at the Patriots on a position-by-position basis to provide you with an offseason primer of sorts. We'll be analyzing how the Patriots performed in 2017 at the position in question, who's under contract, how badly the team needs to add talent at that spot, and how exactly Bill Belichick might go about adding that talent. Today, we're looking at a position where the Patriots have plenty of bodies but an unknown number of difference-makers: Edge defender.
OTHER ENTRIES IN THE SERIES
HOW THEY PERFORMED
WHO IS UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2018?
Hightower, Flowers, Rivers, Wise, Lee, Shea McClellin, Trevor Reilly, Harvey Langi, Geneo Grissom, Keionta Davis
WHO ISN'T?
Harrison
New England Patriots
HOW DIRE IS THE NEED?
WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN FREE AGENCY?
WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE DRAFT?
HOW CAN THE PATRIOTS ADDRESS IT?