The Matthew Judon saga ended in unexpected fashion when the Patriots traded the Pro Bowl outside linebacker to the Falcons for a third-round pick.

Now, the Patriots must move forward without him, and fortunately, they’re still pretty well-stocked at his old role.

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It felt inevitable entering the summer that the Patriots and Judon would reach a new deal after the soon-to-be 32-year-old said on WZLX that he wouldn’t be holding in nor throwing any tantrums over his deal this year. That mindset didn’t last long into training camp. There was a strange scene one week into training camp when Judon showed up for practice with no intention to participate and instead used his time holding conversations with head coach Jerod Mayo, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh.

The Patriots chalked it up to a bad day, and Judon returned to practice two days later. When there was a report this week that other teams had come calling about the pass rusher, it felt at least more likely that Judon could soon be on the move.

The biggest shock is what the Patriots got in return for a defender who will turn 32 on Thursday, is coming off of a season-ending injury that zapped three-quarters of his 2023 campaign, is in a contract year and has very publically stated his desire for a raise and/or new deal. The 2025 third-round pick feels like a steal for Judon, no matter how good he still is at this point of his career, which is relatively unknown since he played just four games last season.

But, what do the Patriots have left at the position, and how can they fill the void left by Judon’s departure?

The deal essentially slides Anfernee Jennings back into the starting role he occupied last season after Judon went down with a torn biceps. Jennings is the perfect early-down edge defender in the Patriots’ defense, which is why the team re-signed him on a three-year, $12 million contract this offseason. The former Alabama outside linebacker ranked fifth last season in PFF’s run defense grade among qualified edge defenders. He won’t cause any sleepless nights for quarterbacks as a pass rusher, but he still generated 21 pressures last season while mostly working on early downs.

And the Patriots still have Josh Uche, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal this offseason, to take over in obvious pass-rushing situations. The only concern is that Uche had a down season in 2023 when he wasn’t rushing opposite Judon after a breakout 2022 campaign that saw him register 11.5 sacks. Uche will simply need to play better when attracting more attention this season. He’ll be a free agent again after the season, and his new deal will be largely dependent on how he plays this season.

Keion White, the Patriots’ 2023 second-round pick, will also need to take a second-year leap this season with Judon gone and Christian Barmore’s status uncertain after being diagnosed with blood clots. White can play anywhere from outside linebacker to interior rusher. White was dominant last summer but had a quiet rookie campaign. He’ll likely primarily rotate with Deatrich Wise at defensive end.

Oshane Ximines, who signed late in free agency, joining the Patriots in late April, appears to be a near-lock for a roster spot after an impressive training camp. The former Old Dominion defensive end dominated the Panthers in last Thursday’s preseason game and showed up in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles with two would-be sacks and a drawn hold.

Further down the depth chart, the Patriots have Sam Roberts, a defensive end/defensive tackle hybrid, William Bradley-King, a 2021 seventh-round pick, and Jotham Russell, a 21-year-old former rugby league player from Australia.

Overall, there’s no doubt the Patriots’ defense will take a hit with Judon’s departure. Combine trading Judon with Barmore’s uncertain status, and the Patriots’ pass rush goes from major strength to question mark at best. The Patriots have the bodies to fill in for Judon. They proved that last year when he missed 13 games. But to really disrupt opposing quarterbacks, White will need to prove he can take a second-year leap, Uche will have to prove he can dominate without Judon, and Ximines has to prove he’s for real.

Ultimately, however, the Patriots are not competing for 2024. Their team is built to contend in 2025 and beyond, and trading Judon now for a third-round pick aids them in that goal.

Extending Judon never made sense, and they couldn’t find common ground on a raise. If the Patriots had lost him in free agency next offseason, there was an off chance they could have received a 2026 third-round compensatory draft pick, but it feels like a long-shot. First, there’s no guarantee that Judon would have signed a deal hefty enough to warrant a third-round pick, then there’s all of the Patriots’ cap space to consider. If they sign a high-priced free agent next offseason, which they should, it would just cancel out the comp pick they would have received for Judon.

The Patriots’ other possibility was to make Judon play on his current contract and move him at the deadline, but even then, he wouldn’t have been happy, and his trade value could have dropped after the first half of the season.

With the offer of a third-round pick in hand, it made sense to make the deal now.