New England Patriots: Full Position Breakdown and Depth Chart Analysis at DE/OLB

The New England Patriots may be rubbing their lucky rabbit's foot in hopes that their two starting defensive ends—Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich—will be available for the full breadth of the 16-game regular-season schedule, as well as however many games the Patriots play in the postseason. 

But like R.E. Shay said, "Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit."

The rabbit's foot was not on the Patriots' side last year, when Jones missed six games due to a hip injury. They were fortunate enough that another capable pass-rusher, Akeem Ayers, was available via trade.

This year, though, the Patriots have not left anything to chance. This year, the Patriots have stocked up on pass-rushers who can fill in if either Jones or Ninkovich are unable to play for any period of time. This year, the Patriots have given themselves options to mix-and-match their front seven as they see fit, creating different looks to confuse their opponents.

Thanks to three draft picks and a free-agent signing at the position, the Patriots' depth chart at outside linebacker is much more stacked this year than in past years.

Chandler Jones

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No matter how many edge defenders the Patriots added this offseason, Chandler Jones' status atop the depth chart is unchallenged. 

The 6'5", 265-pound fourth-year pro is officially listed as a defensive end, but in the Patriots' hybrid defense, he plays both defensive end and outside linebacker. That being said, Jones is not much one for coverage; he only dropped into coverage on 31 occasions in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.

Most of his time was spent moving forward (either setting the edge against the run or rushing the passer) rather than moving backward (in coverage). Jones was credited with six sacks in 2014, but Pro Football Focus' numbers tabulate that he actually reached the quarterback eight times (they count a half-sack as a full sack). 

The Patriots have made Jones a central figure for their defense, utilizing the full breadth of his skills by playing him all over the front seven, but at some point, he's going to need to rest his weary legs. 

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Rob Ninkovich

There may not be a single player on the Patriots roster who is more of an embodiment of the Patriots defense than Rob Ninkovich. Like Jones, Ninkovich is also listed as a defensive end, but the 6'2", 260-pounder also plays some outside linebacker when the Patriots are in a 3-4 front and has played outside linebacker in a 4-3 as well.

Basically, Ninkovich is a jack of all trades. His versatility is beneficial on so many levels, because it allows the Patriots to get creative with him as well as with his substitutes. The Patriots can slide another versatile player to a different position and then substitute accordingly, or they can substitute as if Ninkovich were playing another position. 

Player	Games	Snaps	Snap %
Rob Ninkovich	19	1,222	94.1
Chandler Jones	13	756	86.5
Akeem Ayers	12	414	47.3
Michael Buchanan	2	25	20.5

In 2014, Ninkovich spent most of his time either rushing the passer (633 snaps) or setting the edge against the run (446 snaps), but he also played spot duty in coverage from time to time (143 snaps). 

Ninkovich is set to count for $4.75 million against the salary cap in 2015 and 2016, and at 31 years old, the Patriots may be preparing to move in another direction down the line, but unless someone steps up in a big way this season, he should remain a key cog in the rotation up front. 

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Jabaal Sheard

The Patriots missed out on drafting Jabaal Sheard in 2011, but four years later, they took the opportunity to sign him to their roster as a veteran after he had already sharpened his teeth in the NFL. 

The 6'3", 264-pounder has played both defensive end in the 4-3 and outside linebacker in the 3-4. He was more productive in the 4-3, though, where he notched 15.5 sacks in his first two years in the league. Since switching to the 3-4 as a defensive end, he has tallied only 7.5 takedowns of opposing quarterbacks.

The position switches may not have done wonders for his stat sheet, but they did help him develop the necessary tools to play nearly anywhere in the front seven.

"Throughout the course of the years, I learned three different defenses," Sheard said. "I learned how to drop back. It made me diverse and able to do a number of different things. I think the three different coordinators definitely helped me. I think it prepared me to be a coach one day. We'll see how that goes."

Sheard played 690 snaps in 2014, and should factor into the rotation on the edge regardless of the scheme. He'll be a central figure on the depth chart, but most likely not in the starting lineup. 

Geneo Grissom

As we speak, Geneo Grissom is a man without a position. At 6'3" and 262 pounds, he's another one of those "tweener" types of players who could line up at either the 3-4 outside linebacker spot or at defensive end in the 4-3. 

Grissom spent time rushing the passer and dropping into coverage in 2014, and played out of position as a 3-4 defensive end in 2013. He could feasibly fit into the rotation as a backup at either outside linebacker, defensive end or even as a sub-package pass-rusher on the inside of the defensive line. 

One drawback of his time at Oklahoma is that in playing so many positions, he never had an opportunity to truly master any one position. For that reason, he's still considered a little raw. That being said, his experience all over the defense will benefit him with the Patriots, where he could feasibly line up at any number of spots, and where he already has a working knowledge of his responsibilities in each role.

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Trey Flowers

No one will question Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers' motor. The 6'2", 266-pound edge defender puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't take plays off. The only question with Flowers is whether he has the athleticism and the explosiveness to make an impact as a pass-rusher against NFL offensive tackles. 

The lack of athleticism and explosiveness never hurt him in the SEC, though. In fact, Flowers was one of college football's most productive pass-rushers in 2014, finishing the season ranked second in Pro Football Focus' pass-rushing productivity metric:

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Second-place Trey Flowers has a relatively low conversion rate in terms of finishing his pressures with hits and sacks, but his relentless work rate against SEC offensive lines is noteworthy. Only Markus Golden of Missouri can match his sheer volume of pressure over the course of the season, but Flowers notched his pressure on 70 fewer pass rushes.

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In that respect, Flowers is almost a perfect backup to Jones and Ninkovich, two more players who are not world-class athletes but can hold their own at the point of attack. That being said, he's not likely to give much in the way of versatility with regards to dropping into coverage.

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Zach Moore

Zach Moore is kind of a mystery at defensive end; the Patriots drafted him in the sixth round in 2014, and the 6'6", 275-pounder only had very limited opportunities to make an impact with 96 defensive snaps as a rookie. Most of his opportunities (56, to be exact) were as a pass-rusher, where he tallied four hurries and a sack. 

Moore's primary role was in relief duty for Jones and Ninkovich, playing on the end of the line in the 4-3 front, but he also proved he can play on the inside by lining up at defensive tackle in mop-up duty against the Detroit Lions. He also proved he can keep his cool by not lashing out at Lions center Dominic Raiola, who repeatedly tried to cheap-shot the rookie. 

Moore entered the NFL as a raw prospect out of Division III Concordia, and he will have to prove he has taken the next step in his development if he wants to earn an increased workload. With the selection of so many other edge defenders in this year's draft, the Patriots have certainly shown that they won't sit on their hands waiting for signs of improvement.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.