Patriots Have a Hole Up Front â and Havenât Fixed It
The New England Patriots lost interior defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga to the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason and have yet to replace him. That gap on the depth chart is now drawing attention from outside the building. Boston Herald reporter Doug Kyed identified veteran defensive tackle D.J. Reader as a free agent the Patriots should target â a player with a decade of NFL experience and a body type that mirrors what Tonga brought to New Englandâs run defense.
Wide receiver has dominated the post-draft conversation in New England, fueled in part by ongoing speculation around a potential A.J. Brown trade. But interior defensive line is a legitimate roster need â one that remains unaddressed heading into May 2026.
Why D.J. Reader Makes Sense for New England
Kyedâs case for Reader is straightforward. The 31-year-old has started 128 games across 10 NFL seasons â a track record that none of the Patriotsâ current interior options can match. In 2025 with the Detroit Lions, Reader recorded 28 combined tackles and four quarterback hits, contributing to a Lions defense that finished among the leagueâs better units.
âThe Patriots never replaced Khyiris Tonga, who signed with the Chiefs in free agency this offseason,â Kyed wrote. âReader, 31, would give them an experienced defender with a similar body type.â
Readerâs size and experience profile align directly with what Tonga provided: a stout, two-gap presence capable of eating blocks and keeping linebackers clean. That skillset is harder to find than the market suggests.
What the Patriotsâ Defensive Line Depth Chart Actually Looks Like
New Englandâs projected starting interior defensive line features Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Cory Durden. Behind them, the Patriots are relying on Joshua Farmer, Leonard Taylor III, and Eric Gregory â a group that is young, largely unproven, and, per Kyed, not built like Tonga.
âNone of those players are as stout as Tonga,â Kyed noted. Thatâs the crux of the problem. Run-stopping at the point of attack requires mass and leverage. The young backups may develop into contributors, but none project as immediate Tonga equivalents.
The Patriots finished the 2025 season ranked 15th overall in defensive line performance per PFF, with their run defense allowing approximately 128.9 rushing yards per game. Durden earned a 77.7 run-defense grade before Week 9, a bright spot â but depth behind the starters remains thin.
| Player | Role | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Milton Williams | Starter | 4 NFL seasons |
| Christian Barmore | Starter | 5 NFL seasons |
| Cory Durden | Starter | 4 NFL seasons |
| Joshua Farmer | Backup | Rookie/Young |
| Leonard Taylor III | Backup | Rookie/Young |
| Eric Gregory | Backup | Rookie/Young |
Readerâs Career Value: What a Decade in the NFL Is Worth
Reader has earned $78.96 million over his NFL career, per Spotrac â a figure that reflects consistent starting-level production across three franchises. He broke into the league with the Houston Texans in 2016, signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, and joined Detroit on a two-year, $22 million contract in 2024.
His injury history warrants scrutiny. Reader has dealt with quadriceps tears in both legs â his left in 2020, his right in Week 15 of 2023 â along with knee, shoulder, and back issues. In 2025, he missed Weeks 1 and 14 but remained active for the bulk of the season. Durability is a real variable.
Still, when healthy, Readerâs production has been elite. He graded out at 82.2 overall among NFL defensive tackles in 2023 and 85.2 in a prior season, per PFF data cited by the Lions. That kind of interior pass-rush and run-stop capability doesnât come cheap â but New England has room to work with.
The Patriots carry approximately $35.7 million in remaining 2026 cap space, per OverTheCap. Recent signings â including Romeo Doubs ($8.6M cap hit), DreâMont Jones ($7.0M), and Alijah Vera-Tucker ($4.7M) â have reduced that figure, but enough flexibility remains to absorb a veteran deal.
Interior D-Line Is Getting Drowned Out â But It Shouldnât Be
The loudest offseason conversation in New England centers on wide receiver. Speculation around a potential A.J. Brown trade has consumed most of the post-draft oxygen, and thatâs unlikely to change soon. But roster construction doesnât happen at one position at a time.
Tonga signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Kansas City â $14 million guaranteed â to anchor the Chiefsâ interior run defense. His departure wasnât a surprise, but New Englandâs failure to address the void through the draft or early free agency has left the position exposed.
A veteran like Reader doesnât require a long-term commitment. A one-year or two-year deal at a reasonable cap number fills the gap while the young backups develop. Thatâs a different calculus than the Brown situation, which carries franchise-altering implications.
What Adding Reader Would Actually Do for the Patriots in 2026
The strategic case for Reader is clean. New England needs a run-stuffer with starting experience to complement Williams, Barmore, and Durden. Reader provides exactly that â a player who has lined up against NFL offensive linemen for a decade and knows how to hold the point of attack.
His presence would also give the young backups â Farmer, Taylor, and Gregory â a veteran to develop alongside. Thatâs not a small thing for a position group that lacks a proven mentor. Reader has played in playoff games, earned Pro Bowl recognition, and operated in multiple defensive schemes.
