Patriots Projected To Acquire 346-Pound Khyiris Tonga Replacement
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The New England Patriots lost Khyiris Tonga in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs, and could look to add some depth at defensive tackle.
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Tonga signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in the offseason. He ended up playing a role on offense, defense and special teams, even though he was not a regular starter. He managed to play a career-high 337 defensive snaps and played 14 snaps on offense as well. The Chiefs gave him a three-year, $21 million deal.
The Patriots have some size and depth on the defensive line in Milton Williams, Cory Durden and Christian Barmore, but replacing Tonga should still be seen as important. He was a solid depth piece, but replacing him is easier said than done. By the end of the year, Tonga had a real role on offense as a fullback on run plays. The Patriots signed Reggie Gilliam to replace that aspect of his game. Now they need to find someone who can serve as depth of the defensive line and play a role on special teams.
The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed predicted the Patriots would draft Cole Brevard out of the University of Texas in the sixth round of the upcoming NFL Draft to replace Tonga.
"Brevard has the size to develop as a nose tackle at 6-foot-3, 346 pounds," Kyed wrote on Wednesday.
Brevard played 13 games last season and recorded 18 tackles. In five college seasons between Penn State, Purdue and Texas, he had nine tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He has the physical traits to develop into a solid piece for the Patriots' defensive line.
Tonga's departure may not hurt the Patriots as much on defense as at other spots. They have already found a replacement for him at fullback, and with Christian Barmore having his charges dropped, adding a defensive tackle can wait until Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
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