New Englanders will kick off their weekend with a little bit of football, as the Patriots will host the Washington Commanders Friday night for their preseason opener. There should be plenty of buzz around Gillette Stadium for the exhibition tilt, and not just because a 12-foot statue of Tom Brady will be unveiled before the game.

There is a legitimate buzz around the Patriots thanks to new head coach Mike Vrabel and a New England defensive unit many believe could be among the NFL's best by season's end. Vrabel wants his defense to bring violence and really get after the quarterback, and everyone seems willing and able to carry out his vision.

And why wouldn't they for a head coach who was left bloodied after jumping into a fight in practice on Wednesday? Friday may only be their first preseason game, but the New England defense is going to look to set a tone for the upcoming season. 

The New England defense won't get to test its mettle against Washington star QB Jayden Daniels, who is getting Friday night off. But Vrabel said Wednesday he's going to play everyone who is healthy, which should give us our first look at the team's revamped -- and potentially vicious -- defense.

We've already highlighted players on the Patriots offense that will have out attention Friday night. Here are the players we want to see the most on the New England defense throughout the opener. 

Milton Williams

He's New England's highest-paid player and has acted accordingly, taking his leadership role on the team extremely serious. Williams is determined to be a full-time player after he only played 48 percent of the snaps for Philadelphia last season, and he's looked dominant at times in camp. 

We hope to see him get after Washington QBs on Friday.

Keion White 

We would have really liked to have seen White try to chase down Daniels in the opener, but oh well. The behemoth of a pass rusher is going to benefit a lot from having Williams in the middle of the defense, and White should have hist best season off the edge. 

The biggest question will be whether or not White can defend the run better than previous seasons, which will earn him a lot more playing time under Vrabel.

Christian Barmore

Last year's scary bout with blood clots is in the past and Barmore looks poised to break out (again) in 2025. He's slimmed down and said he feels a lot quicker on the field, which should also put Barmore in line for a big season as a pass rusher and a run stuffer.

K'Lavon Chaisson

Another quarterback-seeking missile to help the New England pass rush. Chaisson racked up five of his 10 career sacks last season, and has been giving rookie left tackle Will Campbell fits in practice this summer. 

Khyiris Tonga

The veteran defensive tackle will cycle in to stuff the run and clog holes along the defensive line. He'll be an important depth piece for the Patriots defense. 

Bradyn Swinson

The rookie edge rusher has shown a lot of potential in a pretty solid camp. We'll see if he can get after the QB on Friday night.

Robert Spillane

The linebacker is always around the football. He'll quickly wrack up tackles and win over lots of fans in New England.

Marte Mapu

Mapu has moved back to linebacker after trying his hand at safety last season. But he hasn't done much in camp and needs to have a great preseason to make the roster. 

DJ James

James has climbed up the defensive back depth chart throughout camp, which has been big for the Patriots with Christian Gonzalez's injury and Carlton Davis barely practicing. James has made the most of his opportunity, and will look to keep it going Friday night.

James was a sixth-round pick by Seattle in 2024.

Alex Austin

Another depth defensive back who could play an important role on the team in 2025. Austin had an interception in last week's scrimmage and has earned the nickname "Double A" from Vrabel thanks to his solid camp.

Kobee Minor and Brandon Crossley

The hope is Gonzalez will be back for the regular season, but the Patriots still need to build up some good depth behind him and Davis at cornerback. 

Minor (the final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft) and Crossley (who went undrafted out of SMU) are fighting for roster spots, but can earn depth jobs or a spot on the practice squad with a good preseason. 

Craig Woodson

The hard-hitting rookie safety should also find himself playing an important role on special teams.

Joshua Farmer

The rookie defensive lineman has been on and off the field in practice, but we should see a lot of him Friday night.

Truman Jones

The former Harvard defensive lineman/linebacker has been showing up a lot in practice as he looks to make the team as a depth piece.

Tune in to Friday's Patriots-Commanders preseason clash on WBZ-TV -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. with a special presentation of the Tom Brady statue unveiling ceremony, and continues at 7 p.m. with Patriots GameDay. Kickoff is set for just after 7:30 p.m., and we'll wrap it all up with Patriots 5th Quarter after the game!