New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft: Grading all 10 selections

Pick No. 87- Damien Harris (RB) Alabama. Draft Grade: C-

The first thing I have to say about this pick, is why? This simply does not make any sense.

The 3rd round is usually filled with guys who are top tier talents that either may lack some consistency, lack some part of their game, or have some personal concerns.

Guys such as T.Y. Hilton, Russel Wilson, and Alvin Kamara are all 3rd round picks and seem to do pretty well for themselves. The point is, this is not a round to really draft players at positions you have completely locked up.

The New England Patriots have Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, and Brandon Bolden all under contract. I’ve spoken at length about how great Sony Michel is as just a pure runner, and then White is, of course, the pass-catching back. Burkhead is a good mix of both as a backup, and Bolden is a great option if he needs to get a few touches. There is no reason to further crowd the backfield.

Running backs often attribute how touches get them in rhythm and make them perform better. Crowding up the backfield like this does nothing but hurt everyone else as a result.

Harris is a solid running back, but doesn’t offer breakaway speed and is a bit of a “bowling ball” type of back. It is important to note, that Harris lost the majority of touches at Bama to first-round Raider draft selection Josh Jacobs.

Drafting a running back with a limited ceiling in the 3rd round, when the last thing you need is another one is just very head-scratching. Bad pick.