That was then, and this is now, and the Patriots and their Head Coach, Mike Vrabel, are on to 2026. One new addition who'll likely be a huge influence on the 2026 team's fate is first-team All-Pro safety Kevin Byard III. Byard was acclaimed as a first team All-Pro free safety. #Patriots S Kevin Byard on Mike Vrabel talking during practice: “He really can't help himself. Hopefully, they will after the team added an expert practitioner in the art of takeaways in Kevin Byard III.