Patriots Would Be Wise To Target 30.5-Sack Pass-Rusher On Rise

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Patriots Would Be Wise To Target 30.5-Sack Pass-Rusher On Rise originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots have plenty of positions to address during free agency: edge, wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker, tight end.

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It’s not going to be easy to check all of those boxes, though...

If the club intends on putting itself in a position to regularly contend, it will have to put together another near-flawless offseason -- which could mean avoiding the obvious choices and taking risks on ascending players like Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh.

Let's take a look!

Bio:

Odafe Oweh
Position: EDGE
Height: 6’ 5"
Weight: 251lbs
2026 Age: 27 (Dec. 15, 1998)
2025: 17 G, 7.5 SACKS, 18 QB HITS, 9 TFL

The Patriots should sign Odafe Oweh because:

If you're going to revamp this specific position group, it's important to prioritize overall value...

Maxx Crosby is tremendous, but giving up two first-round picks in order to obtain his services never made sense for this organization. Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson are obviously worthy of the money they'll eventually get, but it would be nice to add someone who isn't making seven figures per pressure -- which would mean taking something of a risk.

Oweh is getting better and better with each passing season, as things have really started to click over the last two seasons where he has totaled 17.5 sacks, 41 quarterback hits, and 18.0 tackles for loss -- all despite having failed to reach 60% of his club's defensive snaps in each season since 2021.

Oweh is still on the rise, and it feels as though the team who reaches out of their comfort zone to sign him will ultimately be rewarded.

The Patriots should not sign Odafe Oweh because:

If you can catch a bigger fish...

Phillips still feels like the primary target, so until he signs for something ridiculous it probably makes sense to make him the primary target. Hendrickson always produces, so despite the presumed asking price, there's no reason not to keep tabs. Oweh is a risk, and might be treated as such.

Best Fits:

1. Los Angeles Chargers
2. Las Vegas Raiders
3. New England Patriots

The Chargers have already started locking up internal free agents, and are reportedly believed to be making an effort to bring back Oweh.

If he gets to free agency, and it is an if, he should have significant interest across the league. It's just going to depend on who is willing to take a big swing.

More NFL: Patriots Offseason Preview: Everything Team Must Address In 2026

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