New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised some members of his defensive line, including linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive ends Deatrich Wise and Derek Rivers. According to NESN, Belichick is impressed with the performance of his three defensive players in training camp.

“Nobody works harder than those two guys,” Belichick said, referring to Wise and Rivers, who are both in their second year in the NFL. “Nobody. It’s hard to find a time that they’re not in this building.” According to Belichick, the two work extremely hard on the field and off the field with their training, preparation and conditioning.

Belichick also noticed a significant improvement in the performance of his two defensive ends.

Patriots expect 2017 Draft class to step up

The Patriots selected Rivers and Wise in the third and fourth rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, respectively. Rivers did not appear in the regular season for the Patriots after suffering a season-ending torn ACL. Wise, for his part, placed third on the team in sacks in his rookie year with five and second in quarterback hits with 19.

The Patriots expect the potential of their 2017 class to emerge in the coming season. Aside from Wise and Rivers, hybrid linebacker Harvey Langi, defensive tackle Adam Butler and defensive end Keionta Davis are expected to receive significant playing time this season.

The Patriots said all five are healthy and participating in training camp.

Belichick lauds Kyle Van Noy

Another member of the defensive line who has attracted the attention of Belichick is Van Noy, who is having the time of his life in training camp so far. At one point in training camp, the offensive line had a hard time stopping Van Noy, forcing them to rip off his jersey.

In particular, Van Noy’s performance in pass coverage drills is noticeable as he broke up some of the passes coming from Brady and backup QB Brian Hoyer.

Van Noy’s performance did not escape the observant eye of Belichick, who said that the linebacker is doing a great job for the team. “He’s a player that didn’t start his career here but has come in and really has understood the way that we have tried to do things,” said Belichick.

Midway through the 2016 season, the Patriots acquired Van Noy via a trade with the Detroit Lions, who picked him in the second round of the 2014 Draft. Last season, Van Noy was limited to 13 games, recording 73 tackles and 5.5 sacks for the Patriots. Van Noy said he’s lucky to have Belichick as his coach, describing him as a great mentor.