The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Best New England Patriots Defensive Players Of All-Time

Andre Tippet

Tippett was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2nd round of the 1982 NFL Draft. Tippett is a member of the NFL’s 1980s all-decade team and was selected to five Pro Bowls in his career, earning the nod in five straight seasons from 1984–88.

From 1984–85, Tippett recorded the highest two-season sack total by a linebacker in NFL history, totaling 35.0 sacks during the two seasons. Has 18.5 sacks in 1984 is the third most by any linebacker in a single season, while his 16.5 sacks in 1985 are tied for the sixth-most by any linebacker in NFL history.

Mike Haynes

Haynes recorded 6 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown against the Baltimore Colts. The Patriots won their division but lost to Houston in the playoffs.

Haynes recorded 28 interceptions and 1,159 yards on 111 returns, a 10.4-yard average during his seven years with the Patriots. He started his career with 58 consecutive starts before being sidelined with a rib injury late in 1979. Haynes was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1994 and his number was retired as well.

Nick Buoniconti

Buoniconti ended his career with an unofficial 24 sacks, 18 with the Patriots, and six while with the Dolphins. His 32 career interceptions rank him third all-time among NFL linebackers.

Willie McGinest

McGinest was named to the Pro Bowl two times, in 1996 and 2003. In Super Bowl XXXIX, McGinest was utilized in an alternate way from his ordinary job. While he normally arranged as an external linebacker in a 3-4 plan, the Patriots moved him to the guarded line as a protective end with an end goal to keep Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb from scrambling.

In a 2005 trump card season finisher prevail upon the Jacksonville Jaguars, McGinest overshadowed two NFL postseason records-most sacks in a game (4.5) and most vocation postseason sacks (16), outperforming Bruce Smith. His 78 vocation sacks rank third record-breaking for the Patriots.

Raymond Clayborn

Clayborn made the Pro Bowl multiple times with the Patriots. From 1977-to 1982, he was matched with Hall of Fame player Mike Haynes. For his initial three seasons, he likewise played kick returner.

As a newbie, he returned 28 opening shots for 869 yards and an association driving 3 scores, giving him an NFL-best and Patriots establishment record 31.0 yards per bringing normal back.

He was a central member in three season finisher groups, including 1978, 1982, and generally eminently 1985, recording a vocation high six ordinary season capture attempts (one for a score) as the Patriots dominated three street season finisher matches on the way to an impossible appearance in Super Bowl XX.