Patriots NFL draft news: ‘Bama stud Christian Barmore an absolute beast

A day after drafting Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots dipped back into that Crimson Tide talent pool by selecting explosive defensive tacking Christian Barmore with the No. 38 pick acquired in a Day 2 trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Graded as the best defensive tackle in the draft, this could be a classic steal by Bill Belichick who traded the No. 46 pick and a pair of fourth-round picks to get the talented Barmore who was a disruptive force on the defensive side of the football for Nick Saban’s team.

This is really great value for Belichick as Barmore is a beast of a player who can not only be a factor in the run game but has the ability to get to the passer from the inside.

With 10 career sacks (8 of those coming in 2020), Barmore will at least give Belichick’s defense what they lost in Adam Butler and perhaps even more giving his supreme talent and ceiling playing under a head coach like Belichick.

Patriots second-round pick Christian Barmore a big fan growing up

But what is most exciting about this selection is how excited Christian Barmore with being drafted by his favorite team growing up.

"“It was a dream come true, like a blessing from God,” Barmore said during his conference call, via Patriots.com.  “For Coach Belichick and Robert Kraft – it really is a blessing.  Literally my favorite team growing up and it’s a real blessing.”More from New England PatriotsFormer Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason GamePatriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even BeginsNew Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKingsEzekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots"

That means Barmore grew up watching defensive line players like Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork dominate the line.  Can he be a similar type of force?

Those are big shoes to fill, but for a coach like Belichick to move up to get him, there must be a familiar kind of special the Patriots coach sees in Barmore, one that goes beyond his connection to Saban.

"“He’s got good ability as a pass rusher,” Belichick said during his press conference.  “Again, that’s a high quality, high level football in the SEC and he’s rushed from, as I said, kind of across the front, but he has a good knack, good instincts, and good quickness for his size to be able to do that and can play with length on the running game.”"

The Patriots essentially filled those needs along the defensive line via free agency and it is good to see them continue that trend through the draft.  With depth at linebacker and the secondary being their strength, getting tougher, quicker and more athletic up front will prove to be the biggest improvement for the New England Patriots entering the 2021 NFL season.

As for Christian Barmore, this young defensive stud is happy to continue his tradition of playing for, not only his favorite football teams in Alabama and New England but playing for winning organizations.  One he helped continue the tradition of winning and the other he hopes to make an impact on.

Given his physical attributes and mentality, he is destined to be one of those special kinds of defensive players who excel under Bill Belichick.