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Patriots Coach Making an Impression on Sleeper RB Ahead of Draft

New England Patriots assistant coach Omar Young made quite the positive impression on Delaware running back Marcus Yarns when the duo recently met.

By Devon Platana

Delaware running back Marcus Yarns takes the ball to the one yard line on a 19-yard gain on fourth down in the second quarter as Villanova's Ty Trinh forced him out of bounds at Villanova Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The Hens scored on the next play in a furious comeback from down three touchdowns to even the score at the half.
Delaware running back Marcus Yarns takes the ball to the one yard line on a 19-yard gain on fourth down in the second quarter as Villanova's Ty Trinh forced him out of bounds at Villanova Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The Hens scored on the next play in a furious comeback from down three touchdowns to even the score at the half. / fWilliam Bretzger-Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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New England Patriots fans have been looking forward to the 2025 NFL draft since the regular season concluded just over three weeks ago.

The 2024 campaign was nothing short of a bust, but the good news is the Patriots will have plenty of opportunities to find help in April. They currently hold nine 2025 draft picks, five of which are in the top 80 — including the fourth overall selection.

Although impact players can often be found early in the draft, there's value that comes with targeting under-the-radar prospects. The Patriots aren't strangers when it comes to finding late-round gems, and it looks like they've already made a positive impact on one potential sleeper in this year's draft.

Patriots Draft News: Omar Young Impresses Delaware RB Marcus Yarns

The 2025 Senior Bowl is on Saturday and Patriots offensive assistant Omar Young will serve as the running backs coach for the annual event. He's been working with the American Team's runners in the lead-up to the game, including Delaware RB Marcus Yarns, who's been impressed by Young's coaching.

"It’s been great," Yarns said about being coached by Young, per Patriots writer Andrew Guindon. "Omar has a lot of knowledge, and he's passing that down to us; helping us with certain (football) IQ things so we can play faster. I thank him."

With only three RBs under contract for the 2025 season, the Patriots could target Yarns on Day 3 of the draft. The Delaware prospect is often projected to be taken between the fourth and sixth rounds whenever he appears in mock drafts, meaning New England could wait to snag him.

Yarns was, once again, productive with the Blue Hens in 2024. The fourth-year RB turned 133 carries into 844 rushing yards and 17 receptions into 297 receiving yards, scoring 11 total TDs along the way. He also averaged a career-high 93.8 rushing yards per game in his nine appearances, so it's safe to say his production could've been even higher if he remained healthy.

Even though the Patriots are already rostering Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, both RBs are 27 years old and it might not be long before they regress. Drafting Yarns with a late-round pick would help address the future of their backfield while giving them an insurance option in case of injury.

Time will tell if Young's positive impression will lead to Yarns ultimately making his way to New England.

Young has been with the Patriots since the start of the 2024 season. He spent time in various coaching roles with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, along with a stop at Eastern Illinois University in between.

With Mike Vrabel taking over as head coach, it's yet to be confirmed that Young will be back for the 2025 campaign. Even though the Patriots didn't light up the world offensively last season, it's worth noting that their ground game was respectable, averaging 4.4 yards per carry (13th) and 115.8 rushing yards per game (13th).

The 2025 NFL draft begins goes down at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, beginning on Thursday, Apr. 24.

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