Ja’Whaun Bentley
The Patriots lost Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins in free agency and will need some of its internal personnel to step up and fill that void. After showing intriguing potential at times in 2019, Ja’Whaun Bentley appears to be in a prime position to establish himself.
New England still has Dante Hightower in its linebacking corps but his proven impact is not enough on its own. The rest of the options on the roster are not nearly as intriguing as Bentley. It will be important to see if he can turn potential and flashes into sustained impact over a full season.
There has been a history of the Patriots being able to have linebacker talent develop behind key starters before ultimately taking the reigns. He is entering his third season and has been able to observe what it takes to be great in New England’s system for two years.