The New England Patriots dedicated a large portion of their 2015 season addressing the defensive front seven. They signed defensive end Jabaal Sheard in free agency to join starters Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. The linebacker position was set with Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins. They were hoping to return a pair of first round picks to the lineup, after both defensive tackle Dominique Easley and linebacker Jerod Mayo ended the 2014 season on the injured reserve.
The team selected defensive tackle Malcom Brown in the first round of the 2015 draft and added defensive tackle Akiem Hicks in the middle of the season.