The New England Patriots are hoping to take another step forward during the 2022 season. They have recovered well from Tom Brady departing in free agency in 2020, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On offense, Mac Jones will be expected to take that second-year leap. He was very good as a rookie, essentially operating as a high-level game manager. This season, Jones will have more on his plate and the Patriots will be relying on him to help them do more than manage and win some games.

The team needs that to occur because the defense could be a little shakier this season than in years past. As long as Bill Belichick is still making game plans they will find success, but they have lost some very good talent.

At this point last year the Patriots had two lockdown corners headlining their defense in J.C. Jackson and Stephon Gillmore. Now, they have neither. Gilmore was traded last year to the Carolina Panthers and Jackson left in free agency, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers.

One way to help overcome a shaky secondary is having a very strong front seven. The Patriots have some good players, but they could be in the market for some extra depth. Kwon Alexander is someone to keep an eye on as the offseason moves along.

Alexander appeared in 12 games last season with the New Orleans Saints, which is quite an accomplishment. He ruptured his Achilles in December 2020, so coming back to play in 12 games, not even a year later, is quite impressive.

While some of his explosiveness had yet to return, Alexander was a solid player for the Saints. He totaled 50 tackles with 3.5 sacks and one interception, flashing the speed and finishing ability that had him on track to being one of the better players at his position before injuries occurred.

The further removed from his injury he gets, the better his performance will likely be. Still only 28, he is just entering his prime and should have plenty of good years of football ahead of him. Until he reaches that point, focusing on his strengths will be key.

There isn’t a team that builds game plans and exploits matchups as well as the Patriots. Alexander can be deployed as a passing game specialist at the start but could earn an even bigger role as time goes on.