While a secondary led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore made most of the headlines, its linebacker group was no less important in helping the New England Patriots defense lead the league in scoring last year. The top-three in particular stood out: Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins rarely left the field, and showed up on a regular basis both against the run and versus the pass.
Fast forward to this year, however, and the picture looks drastically different.
Van Noy and Collins both left New England in free agency to sign with the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, respectively, while Hightower decided to opt out of the 2020 season over concerns about the Coronavirus.