FOXBORO — For the Patriots, replacing longtime captain and free safety Devin McCourty will take several months and multiple players.

Among those players is Jabrill Peppers, a 7-year veteran who re-signed on a 2-year deal this offseason. His return fit neatly into the overarching theme of the Patriots’ offseason on defense: let’s run it back.

For Peppers, running actually feels like running again. After Tuesday’s minicamp practice, he admitted he finally feels explosive, now a year and a half removed from the ACL tear that ended his 2021 season. Last year, he played 17 games for the Patriots, while he literally found his footing, learned a new system and worked with new teammates.

Now?

Everything is familiar, down to the burst in his movements; whether he’s hunting ball carriers close to the line of scrimmage or patrolling the back end in McCourty’s old coverage grounds.

Bill Belichick sees the change, too.

“Yeah. Oh my god, yeah. He’s a much different player now than he was last year at this time or even in training camp,” Belichick said before practice. “A full year after the injury, a lot of confidence in the communication, the system, his assignments. He’s playing fast, aggressive, helping out his teammates.

“Last year he was trying to learn things, now he’s helping out his teammates, anticipating, making calls or adjustments that maybe help him or possibly help his teammate be in a better position to defend a certain play or type of play. Yeah, he’s been great. He’s way ahead of where he was last year.”

In minicamp, Peppers has been a cornerstone of the first-team defense. He’s rotated through the secondary positions with fellow veterans Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills. Third-round rookie Marte Mapu has also seen a few starting snaps, as a young, hard-hitting safety whose practice performance has been Peppers-esque.