New England Patriots: 5 rookies who will make headlines in 2021
2. Christian Barmore will be an explosive player for the New England Patriots
Trading up to the No. 38 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Christian Barmore out of the University of Alabama.
Projected as an early first round pick, this 6-foot-4, 310-pound specimen slipped due to some off-the field issues. Though there were no specifics, those issues were deep enough to cause some NFL front office executives to shy away from his raw talent.
That alone will make Barmore a player in the spotlight in 2021, especially if he proves those executives right. Of course, the hope is that the Barmore the Patriots drafted is the one who showed elements of dominance during his time under Nick Saban at Alabama.
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Both his size and raw power will be tools Bill Belichick will find a way to utilize in hopefully guiding Barmore to reach his ceiling. Here’s what the Patriots coach saw in the high-energy defensive lineman that caused him to trade three draft picks in order to move up and snatch him at No. 38.
"“He’s got good ability as a pass rusher,” Belichick said following the draft, via Patriots.com. “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.”"
Again, this is another player with versatility and athleticism that will give the New England Patriots a boost. That is, if he’s not making headlines in a negative way.
It’s quite simple for a player with the raw ability of Christian Barmore. If he keeps his head on straight and stays focused, he will excel in Belichick’s system just like he excelled under a similar coach in Nick Saban.