The New England Patriots are expected to be among the most active teams in NFL free agency this offseason. Not only do they have holes all over their roster and several crucial areas that need to be addressed, they also have vast resources to play with: New England is tops in the league with over $130 million in salary cap space available.

With question marks in the secondary beyond Christian Gonzalez, New England is expected to add to the mix as Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams remodel the defense. With that said, let’s assess this year’s DB free agency class.

Patriots’ current defensive back situation

New England has the biggest box checked in their secondary with a premiere No. 1 cornerback in Christian Gonzalez. The 22-year-old is coming off a second-team All-Pro season and has proven to be one of the best cover corners in the game early in his career.

Elewhere, however, there are boxes left to be checked.

Who will align opposite Gonzalez is perhaps the biggest question as Jonathan Jones is headed towards free agency after a season in which the 31-year took a step back. Alex Austin and last year’s lone defensive draft pick Marcellas Dial Jr. remain as the top options under contract, but neither player has logged significant NFL snaps. New England also has Miles Battle signed.

Along the inside, the team has an interesting decision to make with Marcus Jones this offseason as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Jones is undersized at the nickel spot and has dealt with injuries throughout his career, perhaps leading towards Vrabel looking elsewhere for more size at the position. One internal option could be Isaiah Bolden, who has inside-out versatility, but Bolden also comes with a limited sample size.

At safety, Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers remain under contract after both had tumultuous seasons for different reasons. New England will hope a healthier Dugger will lead to better play while Marte Mapu, Dell Pettus and All-Pro special teamer Brenden Schooler round out the room.

Patriots free agency targets at defensive back

Charavrius Ward (UFA): Ward was one of the best corners in football in football in ’22 and ’23 for the Niners defense but reasonably took a step back this season as he dealt with the loss of his one-year old daughter. He is now set to hit the open market where he is looking for a fresh start.

A physical man coverage corner, Ward would be a perfect fit opposite of Gonzalez due to his play style and ball skills. As a second-team All-Pro in 2023, Ward posted five interceptions to pair with a league-high 23 pass deflections.

Carlton Davis (UFA): The 28-year old Davis had a bounce-back season for the Lions before suffering a fractured jaw that prematurely ended his season in Week 15. When healthy, Davis is another big corner who can stick in man coverage. He was on noticeably on Detroit’s defense with Terrell Williams on staff last season.

D.J. Reed (UFA): The Jets are expected to lose Reed in free agency as he has a case for the top corner on the market. Reed checks in on the shorter side at 5-foot-9 but plays bigger than his size. He allowed just 40 yards on nearly 100 press coverage snaps this season and has 42 pass deflections over the last four seasons.

Byron Murphy (UFA): If Vrabel is looking for more size at the nickel spot, the 27-year old Murphy can play both inside and outside and is coming off a Pro Bowl appearance this last season. He took on more zone responsbilites in Minnesota — something that could also appeal to Vrabel — and his ball skills are evident with nine interceptions and 27 pass deflections over the last two seasons.

Jevon Holland (UFA): While Peppers and Dugger remain under contract, the Patriots could use their resources to chase one of the top overall talents in free agency and potentially start a remodel in the safety room. Holland would provide New England’s defense a rangy center-fielder while also showing his versatility more in recent seasons.

It is noteworthy that Holland took a slight step back this season after missing time due to a knee injury in 2023. However, the 25-year old remains the top safety in free agency.

New England likely won’t make a significant investment in the safety room (even including Holland), but Julian Blackmon, Tre’von Moehrig, and Mike Brown, who was with Vrabel in Tennessee in 2023, are lower-level options the team could explore.

Back at corner, Rasul Douglas is another long, physical corner coming off a down season in Buffalo. Asante Samuel Jr. and Stephon Gilmore will hit the market, while Paulson Adebo could be an under-the-radar addition after his season — which started strong — was cut short due to a broke femur.