‘I think he can be outstanding’: Experts rave about the Patriots’ pick of Christian Barmore
The Patriots moved up in the second round to pick the defensive tackle.
The consensus reaction to the Patriots’ second-round selection of Christian Barmore was a good one for both parties.
Not long after Day 2 of the NFL Draft began, the Patriots traded up from the No. 46 pick to get the No. 38 pick from the Bengals in order to get the Alabama defensive tackle. NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah immediately praised the trade and the pick for New England.
“Well, he’s the most athletic and talented defensive tackle in this year’s draft class,” Jeremiah said on NFL Network’s draft broadcast. “He was just a little bit hot and cold (at Alabama). You saw some inconsistencies. But this guy has the body type you look for. He can generate some knockback. But it’s what he does laterally in his range that’s what sets him apart. His athleticism shows up from sideline to sideline. He’s got a great get-off, the best get-off in this year’s class for an interior rusher. Something Bill Belichick is always searching for, guys that can generate pressure up the middle, he’s able to do that.”
“He was dominant in the playoffs against Notre Dame and against Ohio State,” Jeremiah later added. “He could not be blocked in those two football games.”
Fellow NFL Network analyst Joel Klatt added that Barmore can be really effective against a particular AFC East opponent for the Patriots.
“Now they’ve got a guy that can do that in New England is collapse that pocket back,” Klatt said. “You think about Josh Allen in that division and you’ve got to get right in his face. Barmore can do it.”
On ESPN’s draft coverage, analyst Booger McFarland had some high praise for Barmore. He compared the second-round pick to a former Patriots great.
“I think he can be outstanding. Think of Ndamukong Suh,” McFarland said. “He’s more of a power player than a speed guy. He’s not Aaron Donald. But what he can do is that he’s got the capability to stop the run along the interior line of scrimmage. Tackle-to-tackle, he can dominate. He’s a mountain of a man. On third down, he has pass-rushing ability. He can get vertical and can get on the edge. He fits what they want to do in New England when they want to go from 4-3 to 3-4. Think Richard Seymour. Think Jarvis Green.”
Fellow ESPN analyst Louis Riddick had some good things to say about Barmore too, citing what he brings to New England helps fill a major need.
“You want to think about the thing Bill Belichick’s thinking about,” Riddick said. “He’s thinking about how the San Francisco 49ers ran the football down his throat last year. He’s thinking about how the Miami Dolphins ran the ball for 200-plus yards on him down in Miami.”
Riddick, who played under Belichick when he was the head coach of the Browns in the 90s, recalled a conversation he had with his former coach about his frustrations over last season. Riddick believes Barmore can help rid Belichick of such frustrations.
“We talked to him right before they played the Buffalo Bills (on “Monday Night Football” in Week 16), I’ve never seen the man more miserable talking about their run defense, their inability to get some push on a consistent basis on the inside,” Riddick said. “They signed Davon Godchaux in free agency. He has Lawrence Guy. Now he’s going to have Christian Barmore, who late in the season was rushing the passer with some ferocity.”
Barmore showed up this past season for Alabama. His eight sacks and three forced fumbles were the second-most in the SEC while his 9.5 tackles for a loss were the sixth-best in the conference.
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