The Patriots dip into the Alabama pipeline once again by selecting defensive tackle Christian Barmore with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
New England traded two fourth-round picks, no. 122 and no. 139, to move up eight spots to select the disruptive interior pass-rusher that lit up the College Football Playoff last January.<\/p>\n
For those that followed my pre-draft coverage, I didn’t see Barmore as a top-20 talent. After tallying 12 quarterback pressures in the CFP, he was in the conversation at 15.<\/p>\n
However, Barmore\u2019s tape was hot-and-cold. There were instances against the run where he gave up ground trying to fly off the ball rather than taking on blocks with proper technique; Barmore is an attack-minded defensive tackle that isn\u2019t your typical scheme fit for the Patriots.<\/p>\n
Instead, the Pats get Barmore on day two, which is much better value for his immediate role that will likely be as an interior pass-rusher in the mold of free-agent departure Adam Butler.<\/p>\n
With a more thoughtful approach to run defense, Barmore\u2019s ceiling as an every-down defender is considerably higher than Butler\u2019s, giving him the potential to blossom into a stud DT.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, Barmore is a fluid mover with excellent first-step explosiveness, quick footwork to cross-up interior offensive linemen, and disruptive upper-body power to disengage.<\/p>\n
Along with the physical tools, you\u2019ll see throughout his film that Barmore plays from multiple alignments.<\/p>\n