Patriots Player Power Rankings: The top 53 from 2015
Ranking the best Patriots for the 2015 season
COMMENTARY
Bill Belichick appeared pleased — if that’s possible — after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional playoff game. He was so pleased that he praised 18 players by name in his postgame press conference.
The message was clear: an AFC Championship berth is impressive, even for New England, who makes it look mundane. The playoff loss to the Broncos stung, but a two-point loss in an NFL semi-final is a fantastic outcome. And while the 2015 Patriots put comparisons to the 2007 team to bed in Week 11, the fact that they could compare at all — even for 10 weeks — was a considerable accomplishment. And they should only get better in 2016.
Below, in order, is our ranking of the top 53 players for the Patriots this season.
53. LB Dekoda Watson
52. LB Darius Fleming
51. S Jordan Richards
50. WR Aaron Dobson — For Dobson, “next year’’ is perpetually his breakout year.
49. DE Geneo Grissom
48. DT Sealver Siliga
47. QB Jimmy Garoppolo — The backup quarterback had one completion this season. But his reps in practice as a scout team quarterback were invaluable for preparing the Patriots’ defense.
46. TE Michael Williams
45. S Nate Ebner
44. TE Scott Chandler — What a disappointment.
43. S Tavon Wilson
42. WR Brandon LaFell — With each drop, LaFell lost Brady’s trust until he became a non-factor in the offense.
41. DT Dominique Easley
40. RB Steven Jackson
39. LS Joe Cardona — The rookie long snapper justified his fifth-round draft status. He’s on to protecting our country.
38. RB Brandon Bolden
37. OT Cameron Fleming — He went from the practice squad to Brady’s blindside in a matter of weeks, and he’d never protected a high school or college quarterback’s blindside — let alone Brady’s.
36. OG Tre’ Jackson
35. LB Jerod Mayo
34. OG Shaq Mason
33. OT Marcus Cannon — The “sixth man’’ of the offensive line was promoted to the starting lineup, and became the scapegoat of an offensive line that reduced Brady to this:
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32. S Duron Harmon
31. DT Alan Branch
30. WR Keshawn Martin
29. CB Justin Coleman
28. OG Josh Kline
27. LB Jonathan Freeny
26. C David Andrews — Andrews didn’t miss a snap for the first nine games before rotating and eventually losing his job to starter Bryan Stork. Not bad for an undrafted rookie.
25. CB Leonard Johnson
24. P Ryan Allen — The lefty punter finished with 31 punts inside the 20-yard line, three touchbacks, and tied his career long punt with a 67-yarder.
23. DE Akiem Hicks — Another trade gem for Belichick, Hicks acclimated quickly, and finished the season with three sacks.
22. RB James White — Dion Lewis’s emergence made White’s breakout season look pedestrian. But the Patriots made him an offensive focal-point in the AFC Championship. Brady, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Bill Belchick trust White — that’s a high compliment.
21. DT Malcom Brown
20. C Bryan Stork — He played three of the five positions on the offensive line against the Redskins. The center (/tackle/guard) was the Patriots’ best interior lineman this season.
19. OT Sebastian Vollmer
18. RB Dion Lewis — One of the most-missed players on the team, Lewis’s torn ACL deprived the Patriots of a unique talent. When healthy, he was one of the most elusive players in the NFL.
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17. RB LeGarrette Blount
16. CB Logan Ryan
15. WR Danny Amendola
14. OT Nate Solder — The most missed player on the team, Solder’s absence was the first sign of offensive decay for the Patriots. Had he been healthy, the Patriots would likely be in Super Bowl 50.
13. CB Malcolm Butler — No one would have been surprised if he had he been a one-hit wonder. Instead, he led the Patriots in defensive snaps, and made the Pro Bowl.
12. WR Matthew Slater
11. DE Rob Ninkovich
10. K Stephen Gostkowski — The kicker scored an NFL-high 151 points.
9. S Patrick Chung
8. DE Jabaal Sheard — The most impactful 2015 free agent signing, Sheard meshed nicely with the Patriots, and maximized his limited snaps with eight sacks and countless pressures.
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7. DE Chandler Jones
6. LB Dont’a Hightower
5. S Devin McCourty — Had McCourty walked in free agency after last season, the Patriots secondary might have been a dumpster fire.
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4. WR Julian Edelman
3. LB Jamie Collins — Twelve games played, 89 tackles, six pass break-ups, 5.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception — he’s an exceptional linebacker that could probably play snaps at defensive end and safety.
2. TE Rob Gronkowski
1. QB Tom Brady — Who else?
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The 2015 Patriots season, game by game
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