The New England Patriots revamped their safety room entirely this season, despite a pair of big names headlining the group last year. Before Week 1, Jabrill Peppers was released and subsequently signed with the Steelers, while Kyle Dugger was traded for a swap of late-round picks before the trade deadline. There's little doubt the pair had their struggles in coverage, but both were strong run defenders.
Veteran Jaylinn Hawkins has stepped up to be one of the league's best safeties, coming in as PFF's sixth-ranked safety in the league. Craig Woodson is the third-highest graded rookie safety against the run, and the 15th best overall despite playing as a deep man at Cal.