Nine Patriots rank inside top-10 for their position by Pro Football Focus

The guys over at Pro Football Focus do some incredible work breaking down the game using their advanced metrics, and through seven weeks of the 2015 season, their ratings are littered with players from our New England Patriots.

In total, nine Patriots players appear in the top-10 for their respective positions. Two place as the best overall - tight end Rob Gronkowski and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Tom Brady slots in at second place behind Arizona's Carson Palmer.

Dont'a Hightower is the highest rated player on defense, as he slots in as third overall for 4-3 OLBs.

In probably the most surprising player to crack the list, Patrick Chung is the 9th-best safety according to PFF's metrics. Hey, we'll take their word for it. Although to give Chung credit, he has played much better than anyone thought he was capable of, with his best moments this season coming when he went up against T.Y. Hilton 1-on-1 two weeks ago.

Finally, seeing DT Dominique Easley get some recognition is a great sign, as #99 is healthy and causing all kinds of havoc on the line for the opposition. His read on the snap and burst off the line is a great weapon for New England's defensive front. The more time he sees, the more he'll continue to make plays.

Check out the full listings below:

Quarterback

Tom Brady: #2 - 22.9 overall (Pass: 21.2, Run: 1.4, Pen: 0.3)

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski: #1 - 14.4 overall (Pass: 10.0, Pass Block: 1.3, Run Block: 4.5, Pen: -1.5)

4-3 Defensive End 

Jabaal Sheard: #8, 8.0 overall (Rush: 5.1, Coverage: 0.2, Run: 4.1, Pen: -1.4)

4-3 Outside Linebacker 

Dont'a Hightower: #3, 9.0 overall (Rush: 5.5, Coverage: -3.2, Run: 6.2, Pen: 0.5)

Jamie Collins: #10, 3.2 overall (Rush: 2.3, Coverage: 2.3, Run: -2.1, Pen 0.7)

Defensive Tackle

Dominique Easely: #10, 7.6 overall (Rush: 4.1, Coverage: 0.0, Run: 3.1, Pen: 0.4)

Safety

Devin McCourty: #8, 5.6 overall (Rush: 0.0, Coverage: 4.0, Run: 1.0, Pen: 0.6)

Patrick Chung: #9, 4.9 overall (Rush -0.3, Coverage: 3.7, Run: 0.8, Pen: 0.6)

Kicker

Stephen Gostkowski: #1, 21.3 overall (Kickoffs: 16.0, Field Goals/Extra Points: 5.3)

Photo Credit: New York Post

Source: Reddit