New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon has been an absolute force ever since he joined the team in the 2021 season. His stellar seasons were reflected in a recent ranking of the NFL’s best edge rushers from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Judon was ranked eighth on the list.
He has recorded 28 sacks in two seasons with New England. That is an impressive number, especially given the fact that he recorded 34.5 total sacks in five years with the Baltimore Ravens.
The 2022 season saw more of the same with Judon racking up 15.5 sacks on the year. That was the highest number of his career and earned him his fourth Pro Bowl nomination in a row. His talents are getting recognized around the NFL, as noted in Fowler’s report:
“He has the ideal traits — now he has the elite production to match,” an NFL coordinator said.
Voters lauded Judon’s versatility, with one noting a game vs. Pittsburgh where he chased down an adequately fast Mitch Trubisky in the open field for a sack and also broke up a pass deep in coverage.
“He’s more craftiness and nuance — not as high level of a player as some of the others at the top,” an NFL scout said.
Noticeably absent from the list was Patriots linebacker Josh Uche. He had 11.5 sacks last season. He undoubtedly had a great season but hasn’t shown the type of consistency that Judon has as a pass rusher.
Nevertheless, both Judon and Uche will be relied upon to provide that same type of production in 2023. New England faces several pass-happy offenses. So the dynamic duo should have plenty of opportunities to leave their mark.
